


Bound By Blood

by HoldingOnToHell



Category: Percy Jackson & The Olympians (Movies), Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst, Blood, Blood Addiction, Death, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Mild torture, POV Multiple, POV Third Person, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Self-Harm, Slow Burn, Suicidal Thoughts, Vampires, Violence, Withdrawal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:34:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 38
Words: 138,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28078539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HoldingOnToHell/pseuds/HoldingOnToHell
Summary: A multiple POV, slow-burn vampire/ human love story that touches on coping with trauma, blood addiction, and moral dilemma.After Nico is captured for attempting to steal blood bags from a clinic, he undergoes experimentation in the name of medical advancement. Will is faced with the ethical question of if and how he should intervene, and the more he gets involved, the more life as he knows it seems to come undone. Together, they struggle to figure out how they feel, where they fit in each other's lives, and what it means for a vampire and a human to fall in love.Trigger warnings apply.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo & Will Solace, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 258
Kudos: 124





	1. Captured

-Nico-

It was late into the night, and the city slept in autumn's cold embrace. Under the dark sky, a few street lamps stood on the corners, making small pools of yellow light on the black pavement. The brick buildings that lined the streets were quiet with their doors closed and curtains drawn. Snow fell softly.  
  
Nico stood outside of a bloodwork clinic and checked over his shoulder to make sure no one was around. He was alone. He turned his attention toward the back door and pulled out his lock pick. It took only a few moments, but eventually the lock broke open, and he pushed on the door gently to let himself inside. He stepped forward into the darkness and let the door close slowly behind him. He looked around. Everything was still.  
  
He traveled down the hallway and headed toward the room where he knew the blood bags were stored. It wasn't his first time here. When he reached the room, Nico walked over to the cooler and swung his backpack over his shoulder to his front. He opened the cooler door and looked at the stack of blood bags before him. His stomach growled at the sight, and he could feel the ache of his fangs, begging for a taste. It'd been too long since his last feeding. he'd been foolish to wait this long. Nico inhaled and started to fill his backpack up with the blood bags.

Although the stored blood wasn't as good as drinking it straight from a human, he'd resolved this was the way he was going to do it. This is how he would survive. No one would get hurt. Once his bag was full, Nico closed the cooler door and started out of the room. He was on his way back toward the door when the light overhead flickered on. He whipped around, heart pounding, to see two men standing there, armed.

“Vampire,” one of the men snarled, accusation in his tone.

Nico’s eyes widened. They blocked the way to the front door. He knew he didn’t have the strength to push through to run past them. He turned on his heel, and ran toward the back door.

He could hear their footsteps from behind as he pushed through the door, and out of the corner of his vision he saw a dart fly past him.

“Fuck,” Nico cursed under his breath.

The had fucking tranquilizers. Nico spilled out into the alleyway and started running. If only he hadn’t waited so long between feedings, he could be faster than this. He wasn’t in any condition to be running like this right now. but it wasn’t as though he had a choice.

Snow crunched under his boots as he continued to run. Another tranquilizer dart whizzed past his ear. Nico strained to move faster, but his muscles cried out in protest. He turned a corner and started down another alleyway. Everything moved around him in a blur.

The air was cold, and the night was dark. Nico’s ears were filled with the sounds of his heavy breathing and combat boots hitting the pavement as he tore down the nearest alleyway. Shadows lurked over him, taunting him, and he did his best to use his energy to continue running. He was starting to get tired.

“Stop!”

“Catch him!”

The gravelly voices shouted as his pursuers closed in. Nico knew he didn’t have much time. He was fast, but not _that_ fast, and he hadn’t fed in… oh gods he didn’t know how long. Weeks? A month?

As he ran, he could see the end of the alleyway, barred in by a high chain link fence. He looked around. There were no other exits, nowhere else for him to go, but he couldn’t turn around. He’d have to climb.

Nico panted and gripped the links of the fence. He hoisted himself upward and pulled despite the aching in his arms. The air was so cold. Winter would be coming soon. He could hear the sound of his pursuers closing in. He scrambled to push his weight upward and climb the fence. He rolled over the top, his leather jacket snagging. He heard a rip in his clothes as he lost his balance and tumbled to the other side.

He hit the ground. Hard. He hissed as his hand scraped along the asphalt, drawing blood, and suddenly fell into a fit of coughs, as the air was knocked from his chest. He tried to push himself upward, but his limbs were weak. He shouldn’t have waited so long between feedings. He knew he shouldn’t have, but he did. And now he was paying for it.

The chain link beside him rattled, and he looked up to see that the two men had caught up to him.

“Bounty hunters,” he snarled between his teeth.

The man on the right simply gave him a crooked smile. He raised his gun and pulled the trigger. The last thing Nico saw before his eyes closed was the proud, sadistic grin on their faces. And then Nico saw black.

-Will-

Snowflakes fell around Will as he trudged down the city street, hands buried deep in his jacket pockets. The sun above him glared down in a bright light, making everything around him glow in white. It was a beautiful winter, to say the least. He was on winter break right now, finishing up his final year of pre-med at Olympus University, and he couldn’t be more grateful for the time off. It seemed classes and exams were working him to the bone, and for the first time since September, he could finally _breathe._

This morning, he was on his way to visit his friends, Cecil and Lou Ellen, at a local coffee shop, where they could kick off their break with mugs of hot cocoa. They had to meet earlier in the day now, because there was a city curfew put in place a few weeks ago. According to tabloids, a vampire had been captured, and though the mayor made a speech dismissing such an idea, he still set up a curfew. 

“Vampires,” Will chuckled under his breath. The whole thing seemed like a big, surreal joke. They were a myth, right? Plus, it wasn’t like there had been any attacks, at least, nothing that he knew of. And Will studied pre-med and his father worked at a local hospital—he was bound to know if there was such a thing.

Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He looked at the incoming text.

Cecil: _will, you coming? or did you get attacked by a vampire on your way here? lol_

Will grinned. Cecil was definitely eating all of this vampire crap up. Honestly, lately it seemed he never stopped talking about it. Will responded.

Will: _no vampires. running a bit late, i overslept_

He tucked his phone back into his pocket and picked up his pace. He reached the coffee shop a few minutes later, and found Cecil and Lou Ellen sitting in one of the booths. It didn’t look like they ordered anything yet. They were waiting on him. Will slid in next to Lou Ellen and gave his friends a smile.

“You guys didn’t have to wait for me. Sorry I’m late,” Will said.

“Oh we didn’t wait,” Lou Ellen waived a dismissive hand. “We just ordered. The waitress should be over soon with our hot cocoas.”

“That sounds great. Thanks!” Will smiled again. He held his hands together, which were cold. He couldn’t wait to have a warm mug to hold and warm him up. “So what do you guys have planned for your break?”

“I’m hoping to get out of the city at least a few times and go skiing,” Lou Ellen said.

“I’ve got nothing planned,” Cecil said. “Honestly, I was just trying to be as lazy as I possibly could for the next few weeks until school starts again.”

Lou Ellen scoffed at that. “What about you, Will?”

“I picked up a few extra shifts at the diner, now that I’m not in school, and I’m pretty sure my dad wants me to do something with him in a few days. He mentioned clearing my schedule, but he didn’t say what for.”

“Huh,” Lou Ellen hummed.

The waitress then returned with their hot cocoas and passed them around. Will was grateful to take his and warm his hands on the mug, but the steam rising from the drink let him know it was way too hot to start drinking.

“Yeah,” Will continued. “He probably wants me to start shadowing him in the hospital or something.”

Will’s father, Dr. Apollo, worked at the hospital in the city. Well, saying he worked there was putting it lightly. He was the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, which essentially meant he owned the hospital. It wasn’t uncommon for him to bring Will in to shadow. Will was in pre-med after all, and his father insisted he should get as much experience in the hospital as possible. His father had even offered him internships to start working there while he was in school, but he opted for working in the diner for now. It was simpler with shorter hours, and he didn’t want any of his classmates thinking he’d just gotten the job at the hospital because his father had connections. So, he decided he’d just do his residency at a normal pace along with all of his other classmates. He wanted to earn it.

“Sounds boring if you ask me,” Cecil said, taking a sip of his hot cocoa.

“Well, there’s a lot to learn!” Will defended. “I guess I shouldn’t waste my whole break doing nothing but working at the diner anyways.”

“Hmmm,” Cecil mused. “Maybe you’ll see a vampire attack victim.”

“By the gods, Cecil, shut up,” Lou Ellen rolled her eyes, but a laugh escaped her throat in a way to let him know she was only kidding. “You have been talking about this vampire stuff nonstop for like three weeks.”

“Oh come on! Can you blame me? Something interesting is finally happening in the world. You can’t blame me for getting excited.”

“Even if it were true—which it’s not—vampire attacks are hardly exciting. If anything, the whole idea of it sounds absolutely terrifying.”

“It’s like a _movie_ , Lou Ellen!” Cecil insisted.

“Yeah, and that’s where it’s going to stay,” Will commented. “There’s no such thing, Cecil. You just read about it in some tabloid. There’s been no attacks, and I’m sure if someone showed up at the hospital drained of blood or with bite marks, my dad would have told me about it.”

“Unless they went straight to the morgue,” Cecil raised a brow.

Lou Ellen bumped shoulders with him. “Get a grip.”

It wasn’t long after that they finished their hot cocoas and hung out for a bit longer. They talked about the stress of school, the excitement of their winter break, and made plans to catch up soon. They hoped the curfew would lift soon, so that they might be actually able to go to a bar and have some fun, now that they were all twenty one.

When all was said and done, Will slipped into his jacket and said goodbye to his friends. No sooner was he out the door than his phone started ringing in his pocket. He looked at his screen: Dad. Will answered the phone and lifted it to his ear.

“Hey Dad,” he greeted.

“Will,” his father started, “are you free right now? There’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”

“Yeah, I’m just leaving the coffee shop now. What’s up?”

“Come over. I’d like to talk to you in person.”

Will huffed a sigh. “Okay, yeah, I can do that. But I thought I was coming over in a few days anyway?”

“You are. But this is about that,” his father answered vaguely. “I’d like to talk to you about what we’re going to do.”

“Okay,” Will hummed hesitantly. “I’ll see you soon then.”

“Great. Goodbye.”

“Bye.”

Will hung up. That was odd. It wasn’t like his father to be so vague, and if it was something he wanted to talk about in person, it must be something important. Will hoped it just wasn’t anything _bad._ He racked his brain, thinking over his end of the semester grades. He’d gotten all A’s, so he doubted it was about school. But apparently it had something to do with why they were meeting up in a few days. It probably had to do with the hospital.

Will walked to the edge of the sidewalk and stood on a curb, hailing a cab. He climbed in and gave the driver directions to his father’s house, which was to the upper east side of the city. The drive there took longer than it should have with the snow and traffic, but eventually he arrived. He paid the driver and climbed out of the cab, wishing him happy holidays.

From there, he walked up the front steps to his father’s home. It was a really gorgeous house, with tall glass windows and a brick front. The landscaping was usually nicely done, but in the winter, all the small trees and bushes were covered with snow. Will let himself in, kicked off his boots, and headed toward the kitchen where he found his father.

Dr. Apollo was currently brewing a cup of coffee, and he looked over to his son with a smile. He looked to be a spitting image of Will with his blonde curls and blue eyes, just a few decades older.

“Would you like a cup?” he asked.

“No, I’m okay,” Will answered. “So, what’s with all the secrecy?”

He figured he’d cut right to the chase. His father sighed and lifted the pot of coffee. He poured some into a mug, where he then added a bit of creamer and a dash of sugar before stirring it. He leaned up against the kitchen counter, taking a sip and enjoying it’s warmth. Whatever it was he had to say, he seemed to be reluctant to say it, and that put Will on edge.

His father gestures for him to sit down at the kitchen table before joining him. He took another sip of his coffee before saying anything.

“I don’t exactly know where to begin…” he started.

“Dad, you’re making me nervous,” Will confessed.

“Oh,” his eyes widened. “Well I don’t want that.” He set his coffee mug down on the table and asked, “How much do you know about the vampire rumor?”

It was Will’s turn for his eyes to grow wide.

“What?” he asked. Of all the things, this was not what he expected. His father was nice and funny enough, but the seriousness in his tone let Will know that this wasn’t a joke.

“What are you saying?” Will pressed.

“I’ve been holding off telling you for these last few weeks, but a new opportunity has presented itself, so I wanted to come forward.”

“What are you talking about?” Will asked again, frustrated with his father’s vagueness.

“There was a vampire captured a few weeks ago. They’re holding him at the Department of Medical Advancement,” he continued.

“What? No way,” Will didn’t want to be played the fool. As earnest as his father sounded, he wasn’t convinced. “There’s no such thing. Vampires don’t exist.”

“That’s what I thought, too, when they told me. But as head of the hospital, they’ve invited me to come see him. Apparently, the vampire possesses some sort of healing properties, and they want to determine if it can be used to help humans.”

“That’s ridiculous. You’re joking.”

“Will, I wouldn’t have invited you all the way here to tell you a joke.”

Then his father’s words dawned on him. He _wasn’t_ joking. And the whole possibility of vampires seemed too surreal, and he could hardly manage to believe it.

“I’d like for you to come with me,” he father added. “This could be a great moment in medical history, and I’d like for you to be a part of it.”

“You’re serious,” Will concluded.

“Very.”

“Vampires?”

“Just one.”

Will exhaled and shook his head. He’d need to see it to believe it. “I’ll go with you, then.”

His father smiled. “I was hoping you would say that.”

“So what… what other things can this… vampire do?”

“I don’t know much,” his father confessed. “I know they’re feeding him animal blood daily, which seems to satiate him enough. And from what I understand, he has the power to heal himself. So he must be immortal or something close to it. They haven’t tried anything drastic on him because they don’t want to kill him. Not when there’s so much to be learned.”

“Is he.. a killer?”

“I can only imagine so. But from what I know, they also haven’t been able to trace his DNA back to any crime scenes either.”

“What else have they told you?”

“Not much beyond that. They didn’t want to give a lot of details over the phone and advised I could save my questions for an in-person visit.”

“Interesting,” Will commented.

And admittedly, part of him felt a little sick to his stomach. He wondered what kind of experiments they were conducting on the vampire, and if they were ethical. He was in pre-med after all, and ethics truly did mean a lot to him, vampire or not. Then he reminded himself that this vampire wasn’t human, and he very well could be a killer. He wondered how much sentience the vampire even had. Was he like a human or was he just a hungry human-like animal. He supposed there would only be one way to find out, and that was to see for himself.


	2. Scream

-Nico-

The world around him was blurry and cold as Nico woke up. He blinked a few times, waiting for his eyes to focus. He was laying on the concrete floor or some high tech cell. Or a cage. He didn’t really know what to call it. He’s been here for what had to be a few weeks now, but it already felt like an eternity. Three of the walls were composed of concrete, while the fourth was a thick glass that he could neither see through nor break through. It was almost like he was in some sort of observatory on display. It set him on edge, never knowing if someone was on the other side, observing him. And he’d thrown his weight against the glass, trying to break through, more than once, but each time he tried, he was met with a tranquilizer. There was only one metal door that wouldn’t budge.

Nico pushed himself upward into a sitting position. His ankles were bound together, and his wrists were chained behind his back. He wore a leather mask that covered the lower half of his face.  _ To keep me from biting anyone _ , he thought. Not that he could blame them. Although he didn’t normally drink the blood of just whoever, he could really use the extra energy and power. Maybe then, he’d have a chance at escape.

The humans kept him tied up and locked up for days on end. When he’d first been brought here, they poked and prodded him with all sorts of stuff. Running experiments or something. It was excruciating, and it went on for about two weeks. Now, the human in their starchy lab coats visited less and less, and when they did, it was only to feed him, to keep him alive. Animal blood, by the taste of it. Sour and lukewarm and disgusting. What he wouldn’t give to press his fangs into someone’s neck, to feel the warm, sweet blood on his lips. The mere thought alone made his canines ache. But animal blood was better than nothing, he supposed. With nothing, he’d be dead.

Nico couldn’t believe after everything he’d gone through, that  _ this _ was how it ended for him. Being captured and experimented on and occasionally fed like some kind of animal himself. He’d lived for decades, having been born in the 1930s. And when he turned twenty one, his whole world changed when an ex-boyfriend turned out to be a vampire and turned him. They were supposed to spend eternity together. At least, that was the idea. But his boyfriend had turned him, and disappeared. Nico had woken up, hungry and scared and confused and he was alone. The boyfriend who turned him left him, and was never to be seen again.

He kicked himself for ever being so stupid to think he could actually find love. Be in love. To have something that could span not just one lifetime, but forever. And now look where he’s gotten himself? Captured.

Just then, the alarm above the door sounded slightly, and Nico knew someone was about to enter the room. He didn’t get his hopes up on escape. Everytime he tried, he’d found himself too weak and met with a tranquilizer. And waking up from that was very painful and nauseating, so he would try to avoid that at all costs.

He didn’t move, waiting as two scientists entered the room. He looked over to them, dressed in their lab coat, as to be expected, carrying a small bag of blood. As hungry as he was, the sight of it looked equally revolting. He didn’t like being fed like an animal.

The two scientists walked over to him.

“You know the drill,” one said. “I’m going to remove your mask, and if you make even one slightest movement, I will stick you with a tranquilizer.”

Nico didn’t say anything in response nor did he bother nodding. He wanted nothing to do with them, and it was bad enough that he had to give them the satisfaction of complying. He didn’t want to voice his agreement like some well-trained dog.

But he didn’t move as one of the scientists walked behind him and slowly unlatched the two straps of his mask. The cool air met his face, and he finally felt as though he could breathe. He inhaled deeply, careful not to give too much of a sign of movement.

The second scientist opened the bag of blood and held it up to Nico’s mouth. They didn’t bother untying his hands so he could feed himself. It was degrading and downright humiliating. He hated it. And as the room-temperature blood met his lips, he thought he might vomit from the taste. It was sour and stale and disgusting. But the scientist didn’t let up, raising the bag at a tilt so he could drink easier.

Nico drank what he could of the contents before pulling his head to the side and falling into a fit of coughs. Some of the blood spilled down onto his shirt, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t stomach any more of the animal blood if he tried. But suddenly he felt a hand grip his face, and his head was pulled upward again, and the contents of the blood bag were shoved into his mouth.

He felt his eyes start to water, and he forced himself, unwillingly, to drink. He knew if he fought them on this anymore, they’d get even more aggressive, and he couldn’t exactly fend for himself right now. The scientist didn’t let go of his face, squeezing harder than he needed to, until he finished all the blood in the bag.

Now Nico really felt like he was going to throw up. Bike rose in his throat as he gagged, but he managed to keep it down. His face was then wiped with a cloth, and no later than that, the mask was fastened back around his face.

The two scientists joined each other in front of him.

“We’ll be back tomorrow,” one of them said.

Nico narrowed his eyes, the smallest bit of protest he could show, but didn’t say anything. He couldn’t, even if he wanted to, with the mask covering his face. He simply watched as the two scientists left the room and the door locked behind him.

Nico groaned beneath his mask as his stomach gave a small grumble of protest. He was so hungry. He hadn’t properly fed in months now, and he didn’t think he was ever going to again. Maybe it was better this way. Maybe the humans would finally put him out of his misery.

He just hoped it would be sooner rather than later.

  
  
  


-Will-

Three days passed before Will’s father came to his apartment to pick him up. He’d decided against telling Cecil and Lou Ellen about what he was really doing today. He didn’t want to feed into Cecil’s weird fantasies that vampires did exist, and he didn’t want Lou Ellen’s world to be turned upside down when he told her they did. That was, if she even believed him. So, instead, he told his friends he would just be shadowing at the hospital today. He did it at least once a month anyway, so it was nothing out of the ordinary.

As he climbed into his father’s car, he couldn’t help but feel nervous. He couldn’t shake the feeling. Something about seeing a supernatural being totally undid every sense of reality he seemed to have. It was as though the works as he knew it was coming apart at the seams. What next? Werewolves? Mermaids? It felt as though any understanding he thought he had of the world was pulled out from under him and he was falling into an abyss.

“You ready?” his father asked as he put the car into drive.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Will muttered.

Even though there was a part of him that was curious, he wasn’t exactly looking forward to this either. But he knew he’d have to see the vampire with his own two eyes before he could actually bring himself to believe in them. That, and if what his father said was true, this could be an important and defining moment in medical history. And Will definitely wanted to see that firsthand.

So they drove off through the city. They headed west toward wherever the—what had his father called it—the Department of Medical Advancement?—was. Will didn’t have much to say during the drive, opting instead to look out the window at the snowy scenery.

“This is an important day,” his father said. “I expect you’ll be professional?”

“Of course,” Will muttered again.

“Not with that attitude, Will. You’re acting as though we’re going to the DMV.”

Will snorted at that. “Sorry, Dad. I guess I just have a lot on my mind.”

“Me, too. But we have to look at this from a medical perspective. This could be really important. There could be a lot of opportunity for advancement. Imagine a world where humans can heal themselves.”

“You’d be out of a job,” Will remarked in a joking tone.

His father laughed. “Yes, I guess I would be. But it would be for the greater good.”

Will hummed. “I guess I should have a back up plan, too, in case medicine doesn’t work out.”

“What are you thinking?” his father went along with it.

“I don’t know,” Will shrugged. “Maybe I’ll become a famous musician or the next Picasso. Maybe I’ll just retire in the country somewhere with sixteen cats.”

“You’re a long way off from retirement.”

“Not if we make millions off these healing properties or whatever.”

His father laughed again. “That would be the dream, wouldn’t it?”

Will smiled.

It wasn’t much longer after that they finally reached a cement building, surrounded by a chain link fence with a barbed wire top. It almost looked like a prison more than anything else. But Will’s father rolled down the window as they approached, pressed the intercom button to announce who he was, and the gate retracted for them to drive through.

Will looked at the gray building, its thick walls and it’s small dark windows. There was a vampire being held in there. He could hardly believe it. He wondered what he would look like, what he would behave like. He just hoped he wouldn’t have to watch the vampire drink blood because that might make him sick.

His father parked the car in the guest area, and the two stepped out. They walked to the entrance, pressed a second intercom to be allowed in, and went over to the front desk where they were given name tags to wear. From there, they waited in the waiting room until one of the scientists came out to greet them. She gave her name, but in all his nervousness, Will quickly forgot. Instead, he followed her and his father through a set of double doors.

Will followed his father through the corridors. His skin felt icy cold, and not just because it was cold in the building, but because it seemed the whole idea of vampires seemed to suck the life force out of him.  _ This is not real. This is not happening.  _ But it was. And he knew it was. His father had told him as much, and there was no reason for his father to lie.

“Dr. Apollo,” the scientist said, turning around, “right this way.”

She punched a few numbers into a keypad and waited for the light above the metal door to turn green before it opened with a click. The woman stepped through, and held the door open for Will and his father as they walked in.

The three of them stood in an observation room, a few seats bolted to the floor behind them. In front of them however, was a glass window, and on the other side—

“It’s a one-way window,” the scientist explained, “so we can see him, but he can’t see us.”

Will just stared. Horrified. On the other side of the window, sat a boy with olive-toned skin and dark hair that nearly reaches his shoulders. His head was bowed forward, and he looked absolutely defeated. He sat on the ground, no furniture, with his ankles bound and his arms behind his back. Though Will couldn’t see his face, based on his frame, Will could only guess they were about the same age. The whole thing made Will feel sick. He didn’t seem so much a vampire as he did a prisoner.

_ Stop thinking like that, Will!  _ he scorned himself.  _ He’s a vampire! He’s killed people! _

Will’s purpose, his life goal, was to become a doctor, to help people, to save people. And this vampire before him was the opposite. He was a killer. Will didn’t understand why the boy deserves his pity. He didn’t. But something in Will seemed to break, as he saw the boy sitting there.

“You mentioned he has healing properties?” Dr. Apollo turned and asked the scientist.

“He does,” she answered. “We can show you if you’d like.”

“I would.”

The scientist lifted her walkie-talkie to her mouth. She pressed a button. “Send them in. The doctor would like to see the vampire’s healing properties.”

It was moments after that, that two men in white lab coats entered the cell. The boy didn’t look up from where he sat, but the rise and fall of his shoulders as he breathed let Will know that he was very much alive.

The two scientists hoisted him up from where he sat, and he stood without protest. They dragged him over to the front of the room near the glass, and Will couldn’t help but take a step back.

One of the scientists grabbed the boy by his hair and pulled his head back. The first thing Will noticed was the leather mask on his face that covered his mouth. And his eyes! So big and so dark, as if they contained the universe itself. They were wide and wet, but a look of defiance held steady in his gaze. Although he couldn’t see Will through the glass, it almost felt as though he was holding his stare.

Then the second scientist raised a scalpel. Will was tempted to turn away, not because he was afraid of blood—no, he was in pre-med after all— but because the sheer horror of cutting somebody open with the intent to harm. The scientist raised his scalpel to the boy’s throat and slit across his carotid artery in one swift, clean motion.

The boy squeezed his eyes shut, as blood sprayed out. Will’s eyes grew wide with horror. But then the blood stopped. The wound on the vampire’s neck slowly sealed itself shut.

“Amazing,” Dr. Apollo murmured. “But disturbing nonetheless.” He turned to the scientist. “Have you done studies into his healing properties?”

The woman nodded. “We have, Doctor, and his cells and blood are… irregular, but we haven’t been able to pinpoint the cause behind it yet.”

“Do you have any questions, Will?” his father turned to him.

Will paused. Did he have questions? He had a thousand questions! Like what were they doing and why were they doing this and why did it seem so inhumane? But when Will opened his mouth, the question that spilled forward was not one of them.

“Does he have a name?” Will asked, his voice nearly catching in his throat.

Both his father and the scientist turned to look at him, their eyes wide as if asking  _ of all the things you could ask, that is your question?  _ Will swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to ignore it.

“If he does, he hasn’t told us,” the scientist answered. “He doesn’t talk.”

“Can he speak?” Will’s father asked.

“His vocal chords seem to be intact. He should be able to.”

His father hummed. “I’d like to take a look at his teeth.”

“We can arrange that, Doctor,” the scientist said, “but not today. We’ll need to put him under so it’s safe enough to remove the mask and for you to enter the room. I can call you to set up a secondary appointment.”

“Thank you,” his father answered.

_ A second appointment?  _ Will thought. How many times would this boy have to endure their—what would he even call this—experiments? He felt his stomach drop. His father and the doctor continued on with their conversation, but Will tunes them out. He looked into the room and watched.

The two scientists who had entered were quickly cleaning up the blood that had spilled with disinfectant, and the vampire stepped back, his legs wobbly and weak. When they’d finished cleaning, they left the room, and the vampire fell to his knees, his head bowed once more.

Then Will heard it. It was the faintest sound, so quiet through the glass, yet it seemed to pierce Will right through his heart. It was a scream. No. A wail. It was an absolutely horrifying sound of pain and terror and exhaustion. Like a dying animal.

Will noticed his father and the woman had both stopped talking, turning to look into the room, too. The vampire fell to his side and curled up. And although he’d stopped screaming, Will could tell by the shake in his shoulders and the way his body trembled that he was most definitely crying.

Something about it made Will want to cry, too.

“Well, I suppose that answers your earlier question, Doctor,” the scientist said to his father. “It seems he  _ can  _ speak.”

His father hummed, but there was no hint of emotion in his face, at least nothing Will could read. Did his father feel disgusted by all of this as well, or was he simply observing the vampire from a medical perspective? He hoped it was the former. He couldn’t imagine his father being so cold. Not after hearing someone cry out like that.

And then his father and the scientist continues their conversation, and his father asked to see the lab results they’d come up with. The scientist nodded and started toward another door. Will hadn’t even noticed the two had started walking away until he heard his father’s voice.

“Will, are you coming?” he asked.

Will turned to them then turned back to look at the vampire. It seemed the boy had stopped crying, his shoulders still and barely moving. Will didn’t want to witness this anymore. He needed to get out of here.

“Yes, I’m coming,” he said, clearing his throat.

Will followed the other two through the door toward the lab. The next few hours passed in a haze. The scientist led his father through all of the experiments they’d conducted. Will could hardly pay attention to the details, too mortified to hear what they’d been doing to the boy. He could heal broken skin, broken bones, burn damage, ice damage, drowning, suffocation, electricity. Will needed to tune it out. They were downright  _ torturing  _ him.

When the conversation turned, they let his father know they’d been feeding him animal blood daily, which he seemed to resist, but his body reacted nonetheless. The scent of the blood made his canines sharp, and when there wasn’t any around, they retracted to normal size. His body seemed to be doing well with the animal blood, but they were hesitant on introducing him to a diet of human blood, unsure what effects it may bring. They talked about moving him to a more secure facility for that kind of experimentation.

Will turned away and went to sit down on one of the chairs in the lab as his father went over to the microscope to observe cell samples. Will couldn’t get the sound of the vampire’s scream out of his head. He’s sounded so defeated, like he’d given up. He’d only been here a few weeks, and they’d done so much to him already. If he really was immortal, would he have to endure an eternity of this kind of treatment? Or el after the scientists found what they wanted, were they going to put him down like a rabid animal?

Dizziness crept over him, and Will thought he might throw up. It wasn’t much longer before his father and the scientist finished their conversation and agreed to meet in a few more days when they made preparations to put the vampire under for a more hands-on approach. His father thanked her for her time and her courtesy before making his way over to Will and asking if he was ready to go. Will nodded and stood up, and they were escorted by the scientist out of the lab.

It wasn’t until Will was back in the car with his father that he could feel the tears that threatened his eyes. This was wrong. It was all so wrong. He looked out the window, refusing to meet his father’s gaze. His dad put the car into reverse and started backing out of the parking space. No sooner were they out of the lot, through the gate, and back on the road into the city that his father spoke.

“Well that was something, wasn’t it?” his father asked.

Will hummed, not knowing what he could possibly say.

“Unethical,” his father continued.

Will felt a weight lifted from his chest to know his father agreed. “Extremely.”

“How do you feel about a second visit? I understand if you don’t want to come. It was very… difficult to see.”

Will paused thinking it over. He really,  _ really _ didn’t want to see any of that again. “I’ll think about it.”

“I hope you do,” his father added. “I’ll make sure they don’t do anything…  _ like that _ in front of us again. I would just like to see his teeth and get a more hands-on approach myself. See if I can target any oddities or something that might help with the research.”

“You wouldn’t hurt him like that, would you?”

“Of course not.”

Will felt a bit better hearing that.

“He felt  _ pain, _ ” Will spoke again.

“More than that,” his father added, “that was a scream of emotion.”

And now Will definitely felt sick. Maybe he would go back. He didn’t know. Maybe he would remove himself so far from the situation that he could forget he was ever there to begin with.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 As always, kudos and comments are appreciated. Chapters will be added three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.


	3. Starving

-Nico-

Ever since the day Nico had screamed out, he’d regretted it. He’d been so absolutely exhausted and hurt and defeated from their constant experimentation on him and their forcing him to drink animal blood. But then they just came into the room, unannounced, and slit his throat open for no apparent reason. They’d dragged him over to the glass window first, so he could only guess there was someone on the other side, but he couldn’t see them. They were cutting him open for what—to entertain somebody on the other side? He couldn’t take it anymore, and he screamed.

And he screamed so loud the sound pierced through his mask, and he wondered if whoever was standing on the other side of the glass could here him, but he didn’t care. And then when his throat was raw and hoarse from screaming, he’d started to cry. And he hated himself for that. He hated that he couldn’t stop the tears, that he had no control over himself or his life anymore. He’s finally reached his breaking point, and he didn’t know how much more he could endure.

But that scream ended up working against him. Because now the scientists knew he could speak, and now they wanted to test his intelligence. But Nico didn’t want to comply. He didn’t want to tell them anything in any of the languages he knew. Hadn’t they gotten enough from him? Or were they so tired of attacking his body that they were going after his mind next? He was going to lose his sanity at this rate.

They’d sent someone in for hours on the first day to talk to him. They tried scientists, then they tried psychiatrists, then linguists, then counselors. They were trying to get him to open up about anything. But it was the counselors that really did him in, asking questions about his life and his loss and prying at absolutely everything they possibly could to get some sort of reaction from him. And then his eyes started to water, so they  _ knew  _ he understood them. And things only for worse from there.

When the scientists realized he wasn’t going to speak voluntarily, they tried other methods. Most under the threat of further “light torture.” They’d shock him every time they asked him a question and he didn’t respond, and it seemed like every shock became more intense than the last. And the worst part was, his body could endure it. So eventually the shocks became electrocution, and eventually the electrocution felt like they were straight up striking him with lightning. And when he finally broke, when he finally screamed in pain  _ again _ , they’d told him they’d stop if only he would just agree to talk.

But he didn’t. He couldn’t let them in his head. He didn’t know what they’d do once they got inside. And that’s when they realized that their methods weren’t working, and they tried a different approach.

Now they were starving him.

It was the one thing that might actually drive him mad, the one thing that might actually kill him. They had gotten him used to a diet of animal blood every single day, and now his body was deprived of it, and it sent him into fits of tremors and convulsions or withdrawal. He didn’t know how much time had passed already, but it had to have been a few days by now.

_ Pathetic,  _ he thought to himself. He was used to going sometimes weeks between feedings, but now these scientists had adjusted his body to getting used to it daily. Being suddenly withheld from feeding felt like the worst torture he could possibly endure because it was something he could heal from. It was as though his cells were eating themselves from the inside out.

He was laying on the floor, his body shaking, when the door to his room finally opened. He didn’t bother to look up. He listened as the footsteps crossed the room and waited until he could see the shoes of someone standing in front of him. He didn’t look up to see their face. He didn’t care. He dared to sniff, to see if he could catch the sent of blood, to see if they’d finally caved and determined that keeping him alive was more important than trying to get into his head, but he didn’t smell anything.

The scientist must have noticed because she spoke.

“We’ll feed you again when you agree to have a conversation with us,” she said.

Nico squeezed his eyes closed. He was so hungry, so desperate for blood, that for a moment, he considered cracking. He’d tell them everything they wanted to know and more. He’d tell him when he was born and where, that he could speak three languages—English, Italian, and Greek—that he had gone through college several times and had multiple degrees, that he’d traveled the world, that he could play soccer and the guitar, that his favorite human drink was red wine, and that he loved the smell of autumn. He’d tell them he was terrible at videogames though he loved them, and that he had a knack for sudoku and crossword puzzles. He’d tell them that he’d once had a pet cat, but the loss of losing it was too much to bear, so he vowed never to get a pet again.

But then he thought about his family and how he’s lost them to mortality. He thought about the other vampires, and his very alive human friends that he still had, and he knew he couldn’t bring himself to speak. He needed to keep quiet, not only for his own sanity, but because he needed to protect everyone else. He couldn’t tell them about the other vampires or his human associations in fear of putting them in danger, too. And he knew the scientists would eventually ask them about those things, and he knew they’d just starve him until they got the answers they wanted.

So no, he couldn’t talk. Not now. Not with death just around the corner. At least this way he could die with some dignity. He could die knowing he still had his mind in tact and that he didn’t commit anyone else to endure this either.

Nico opened his eyes again and met the stare of the scientist. His eyes were dark with defiance and absolution. She simply frowned down on him.

“Suit yourself,” she said and started walking away.

Nico waited until he heard the door close again before he finally let his eyes fall closed. He was so fucking tired. He just hoped that when he closed them, it would be for the final time.

-Will-

A few days had passed since Will and his father had gone to the Department of Medical Advancement, yet it was the only thing that Will could think about. Everytime he tried to distract himself with TV, movies, music, or talking to Cecil and Lou Ellen, he kept finding his thoughts turning back to the vampire. His slee was plagued with nightmares of hearing the soft, muffled scream, and he’d woken up on more than one occasion in a panic, gasping for air and his cheeks stained with tears.

He ended up canceling most of his plans over the next couple of days, only leaving his apartment when he had a shift at the diner. And those were the few hours he could focus on work and clear his head. He slipped into the role of playing the waiter, adhering to his boss, Travis, making conversation with his coworker, Connor, and pleasing his customer’s with his charm and work ethic. But when his shifts ended, he was left with a hollow feeling in his gut as he returned home.

It was the day of his father’s next scheduled visit when he finally got the call he’d been anxious about. He answered his phone.

“Hi Dad.”

“Hey Will,” his father said on the other line. “I was wondering if you’d put any thoughts into a second visit yet. If you want to come I can pick you up in about an hour.”

“I don’t know,” Will admitted. “I’m really shaken up over the last time.”

“I understand. There’s no pressure if you don’t want to come.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“I’ll talk to you later then.”

“Bye.”

“Bye. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Will hung up the phone. He was glad his father wasn’t guilting him into going. Well, maybe glad wasn’t the right word, because he felt far from that the last few days. Maybe he just felt relieved. He just wished there was something he could do to change this whole mess. He felt so powerless. To know something so unethical was happening, to know that a vampire—a boy—was suffering so much, and there was nothing he could do about it was too much to bear.

_ But what if there’s something you can do _ ? A gentle voice spoke within his mind. And Will held onto that thought. There certainly was nothing he could do just sitting in his apartment, but maybe if he went back, there’d be something he could do. Maybe he could convince his father to say something, or perhaps he could even confront the scientists themselves. There was a small sliver of a chance. But he knew if he sat here and did nothing that nothing would change. The least he could do was try.

Will reached for his phone and called his father back. He answered almost immediately.

“Dad?” Will started. “I changed my mind. I want to go.”

“Are you sure?” his father asked, sounding concerned.

“As sure as I can be right now. Just come pick me up before I change my mind again.”

“Okay, I’ll leave now then. We can stop for coffee or something before we head over.”

“Thank you.”

Will hung up. His hands were trembling again. He knew he didn’t have much time before his father would get to his apartment, so he changed quickly into some business-casual attire. He added a tie for safe measure. He wanted the scientists to take him seriously when he spoke his mind about all of this.

Will waited patiently until he received a text from his father that he’d arrived, and he quickly pulled on his shoes, slipped into his jacket and headed out the door. He saw his fathers car parked out front by the curb, engine still running, and got in. His father gave him a comforting smile.

“Last chance,” he said.

“Please just drive,” Will answered.

And so he did. They stopped at Will’s favorite coffee shop that he usually went to with Cecil and Lou Ellen, and his father got coffee while he got himself a hot cocoa. He was hoping the drink might appeal to his sweet tooth and help him feel a bit better, but when he finally took a sip, he realized he didn’t have much of an appetite. They sat at one of the tables, drinking their drinks, and talking about everything other than what Will did—or rather, didn’t—want to talk about.

He told his father all about his semester at school, and his father praised him for his excellent grades. His father filled him in on the latest and the greatest things going on at the hospital, and Will feigned interested even though his thoughts kept drifting elsewhere. Eventually, enough time had passed that they decided they should actually get going, so they paid for their drinks and headed back out into the cold.

His father played music on the radio, and it seemed they didn’t have much more to talk about on the drive there. Will was rather glad, as he didn’t know exactly what he planned to say. He was just beginning to get comfortable with the silence when his father spoke up.

“So,” he cleared his throat. “What made you change your mind?”

Will knew this question was coming and he knew there was no avoiding it either. He didn’t dare look his father in the eye when he answered.

“Honestly? I was hoping either you or I could say something to them to get them to... change their methods,” he confessed.

“I thought you might say something like that.”

“Well? What do you think?”

“I think you have a good head on your shoulders and an even better heart. And I agree with you. I think I’ll demonstrate a more humane way of practice today and explain that if they wish to continue my cooperation, that they had better do the same.”

“Thank you.”

His father offered a small smile. “It’s not just for you.”

“I know.”

They were eventually reached the Department of Medical Advancement, were allowed entry, and parked. Will followed his father around the car toward the entrance of the building, where they walked in, received their name tags, and waited in the waiting room for the scientist to retrieve them.

She entered the room, all smiles.

“Dr. Apollo!” she greeted them. “And Will! A pleasure to see you both again.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” his father shook her hand.

Will said nothing. He was afraid if he opened his mouth he might just start yelling blasphemies at her.

“Follow me,” she instructed.

And so they did. As they walked through the corridors, she explained, “So we put the vampire under about an hour ago. He should still be out for another few hours considering the amount of anesthesia we gave him, but just to be safe, we ask that your visit take no more than an hour. We still don’t know exactly how he responds to the anesthesia, so we do have him restrained.”

“I understand,” his father said.

Will waited for his father to say something about the treatment of the vampire, but he didn’t. Perhaps now wasn’t the best time, but he hoped he would sooner rather than later.

They walked into a clinician’s room, which was rather large. The first thing Will noticed was the vampire boy laying on a hospital bed. His arms and legs were restrained with straps, but he wasn’t wearing a leather mask—probably because his father had asked to see his teeth. He lay there, unconscious, with his lips slightly parted. Without his mask, Will could see how hollowed his cheeks really looked, and the soft angles of his face. His long dark hair was brushed out of his face, and his eyes were closed. He didn’t  _ appear  _ to be in any pain, and that was a relief to Will.

The vampire was hooked up to a heart rate monitor, beeping ever so steadily. Will took a step forward.

It was his father who was the first to speak. “I assume you have cotton swabs and petri dishes ready for me?” he asked.

“I do, let me go get them.”

The scientist first put on a pair of latex gloves then dug through one of the drawers and pulled out exactly what Dr. Apollo had asked for. She set them down on a tray for him. She grabbed a hold of the glove box and held it out to him. He thanked her and slipped on a pair of gloves.

The first thing he did was take all of the vampire’s vitals. He checked his breathing and his blood pressure and shown a light into his eyes to check his pupils.

“Everything seems normal,” he commented. “Human.”

And that word ate away at Will. The more he watched, the more human the vampire really seemed.

“Will,” his father suddenly said. “Would you like to get a closer look?”

Will swallowed the knot in his throat and nodded his head. He didn’t bother putting on a pair of gloves, as he didn’t plan to touch the vampire at all, but he looked nonetheless. His father once again opened the boy’s eyelids and shown the light into them. Will studied his pupils, which shrunk at the light. They weren’t dilated or red with bloodlust. They were completely and totally normal. They were a rich, deep dark brown color, and under the light that hit them, they almost seemed to offer a shimmer of gold.

Will’s father let go of his eyelids and let them close. He clicked off the light. Next he took the otoscope and checked his ears. He concluded they were normal, too. With the basics covered, Dr. Apollo went for the vampire’s mouth next, which equally excited and terrified Will.

But when his father opened the boy’s mouth, there was nothing unusual to see. No sharp fangs. No blood. Nothing. His father checked the back of his throat first, determining there was nothing out of the ordinary before moving to his teeth. They both studied his canines intently.

“They really only react to blood,” the scientist commented from behind them.

His father pressed his fingers against the vampire’s canines but nothing changed.

“They don’t seem to be malleable,” he commented. “How do they change?”

“I really don’t understand the phenomenon myself,” she answered. “They just sharpen.”

Will really didn’t like his father’s hands in the vampire’s mouth, but he reminded himself that the vampire was unconscious and his father was a medical expert, so there was really nothing he needed to worry about. Next, his father pressed on the vampire’s gums, right above his canines, but nothing changed.

“There don’t seem to be secondary fangs that retract here either. It’s very odd,” he turned to the doctor. “Have you done x-rays?”

“We have. And in this state, everything returns as normal. But when we introduce blood, even if he’s still unconscious, his teeth sharpen into fangs.”

His father hummed in wonderment at that. He reached for one of the cotton swabs and started taking samples of his saliva before setting it down in one of the petri dishes. When he was finished, he just stared at the boy lying on the table for a long moment. After a while, he looked up at the scientist.

“He looks weaker than the last time we saw him,” his father commented.

“Yes, well,” the scientist said, “some things have changed.”

“Like what?” his father raised a brow.

“We aren’t feeding him a steady diet as we were before. We’re trying to convince him to talk to us, and he won’t cooperate.”

_ So they’re starving him _ , Will thought. Now would be the perfect time for his father to say something.

His father must have agreed because after a moment he said, “Doctor, would you mind if we step out of the room for a moment? There’s something I wish to discuss.”

“Certainly,” she agreed and led the way out of the room.

The two stepped out, and suddenly Will was very much aware that he was left alone in the room with a vampire.  _ But he’s under anesthesia _ , Will reminded himself.  _ It’s safe _ .

Will walked over to the side of the bed and sat down next to the vampire. He looked around and noticed there were no surveillance cameras in the room, which made him feel a little bit better, knowing he wasn’t being watched. Despite all of the nerves in his body telling him otherwise, he reached out a hand and touched him. He didn’t know what he expected. If he expected it to be icy cold or burning hot. But his olive-toned skin felt so… normal. Will took the vampire’s hand in his own.

“I’m sorry this is happening to you,” he whispered.

He waited for a response but none came. Just the soft beep of the heart rate monitor beside him.

“I wish there was something I could do to help you,” Will added.

He squeezed the vampire’s hand gently, wishing he was awake. He wished the other could hear him, so that he knew despite everything was facing, there was still someone on his side. Will considered what incredible strength it must take him to keep from talking. First they’d tortured him, now they were starving him, and the vampire  _ still  _ wasn’t talking.

That’s when an idea struck Will. A really stupid really foolish idea struck Will. They were starving him. And although there wasn’t much Will could do about saving his life, he could at least try to help. So Will stood up and made his way over to the counter, where he fished through the drawers before he found a scalpel.

“This is a bad idea,” he told himself, but at the same time, he couldn’t stop himself. He had to help, and this was the only way he knew how.

Will walked back over to the bed where the vampire lay. He rolled back the cuff of his shirt and stared at his wrist. He stared at his skin, smooth and white, with a few freckles adorning him. He then took the blade to his wrist and made a gentle incision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3  
> I'm a bit ahead schedule with writing, so I'll be posting chapters daily until I'm either caught up to where I've written or the story is completed.  
> As always, kudos and comments are already appreciated :)


	4. Incision

-Nico-

Something warm pressed to his lips. As first, Nico didn’t move, thinking he was caught in a dream. The taste of blood entered his mouth, warming his core with sweetness. It wasn’t just blood but human blood. Fresh. It was too good to be true. Nico knew he had to have been dreaming at this point and didn’t bother opening his eyes. But when the liquid filled his mouth and started down his throat, he began to cough, and he knew it wasn’t a dream.

His eyes snapped open, his head foggy as the effects of the anesthesia were still wearing off. He swallowed the blood in his mouth, his lips still pressed to skin, and he looked up.

And by the gods, he swore he saw an angel.

A boy stood above him, the curls of his golden hair glowing in the light that showed down on him. His eyes were a beautiful hue of blue, scrunched together in a mix of pain and thought. And he had freckles, so many freckles. But there wasn’t time to think about all of that. Right now, this boy—this angel—had his wrist pressed to Nico’s lips, and there was blood coming out.

Nico never drank human blood without consent, but with this boy standing here, his wrist offered up, seemed like consent enough. And Nico was far too weak and far too hungry to pass up. His canines throbbed, and he sat up before he bit down into the skin.

Somewhere in the distance of his mind he heard a muffled cry, and realized he definitely hadn’t been gentle. But starvation drove him now, and he couldn’t stop himself if he tried. He swallowed another mouthful of blood, relishing in its taste as it nourished him. With his newfound strength, he was able to pull his wrists and feet free from the straps that bound him to the bed. He lifted his hands and gripped the boy’s arm, desperate for more. Another mouthful.

Something in the back of his mind told him he needed to stop. He didn’t want to, and by the gods, he didn’t know if he could. But somehow, with a desperate clench of his hands on the boy’s arm, he was able to pull his lips away. He wiped the blood that dribbled down his chin with the back of his hand before he looked up at the boy, who looked to be absolutely horror struck.

Nico didn’t know whether he should apologize or thank him, and instead he settled for: “Why did you do that? I could have  _ killed  _ you.”

And the golden-haired boy gripped his bleeding wrist. A thousand thoughts seemed to pass behind his eyes before he finally said, “But you didn’t.”

Nico looked around, on edge. He was in what seemed to be a clinician’s room, still seemed to be captive, wherever that was.

Nico whipped around back toward the boy. “Are you… are you helping me?” he asked, distrust heavy in his eyes.

“I-I don’t know,” the other stammered. “I guess I am. But you need to get out of here, quickly.”

Nico nodded and swung his legs over the edge of the table he’d previously been lying on. He wobbled for a second before catching his balance. He looked around the room. There was only one door. He started toward it before turning around on his heel, giving the other boy one last glance over his shoulder. He noticed the other was wearing an ID tag: Will Solace.

“Thank you, Will,” Nico murmured before opening the door and slipping out.

Nico ran down the hallway in a sprint. He didn’t know where he was going or how he was going to get out, but he was determined to find a way. The nice thing about human blood, about  _ fresh  _ human blood, was it gave him extra strength and extra speed that was beyond human. That wasn’t to say he could sprint in the blink of an eye, but he was pretty sure if he tried at his fastest, no one would be able to catch him. He just hoped he could also outrun and tranquilizer guns.

There was a door up ahead, and Nico pushed through with ease. From the sound of it, the door seemed to lock behind him. He assumed for safety reasons, like a fire escape or something, the doors only locked upon entry, but he could push through any door to leave. And it turned out, he was right.

He bolted down the hallways, pushed through door after door, and having absolutely no idea where he was possibly going, until he realized he’d reached the front lobby area. There he saw two humans sitting at the front desk, who looked up in sheer terror when they saw him. But he didn’t have time to worry about that, he needed to keep moving.

From the other side of the glass door, he could see the sun was starting to set, which he was grateful for, because it would be easier for him to escape in the dark. He pushed through the final door and ran out into the cool air. He didn’t take a moment to breathe as he ran across the parking lot in his bare feet toward the chain linked fence.

He used all the strength he had to climb upward, cursing as he saw the barbed coiled wire at the top. But barbed wire wouldn’t stop him. Not now. He combed through it, cursing under his breath as it pierced his shirt and cut into his skin, drawing small specks of blood before his skin healed itself shut again. Once on the other side, he dropped down to the ground and took a moment to catch his breath.

He could already hear the alarms in the building starting to go off. They knew he’d escaped, and they’d be after him now. Nico started running toward the shadows.

-Will-

Will stood there, dumbfounded for a moment, before he realized the blood was seeping through his fingers where he held onto his wrist. He looked around before catching sight of some gauze on the table. He rushed over to the sink and rinsed off what he could with a hiss as the water hit his open wound. He reached for the gauze to start bandaging himself up, when the door opened behind him.

He felt his heart nearly jump to his throat. The vampire couldn’t be back? He was supposed to be running—escaping. But when Will turned around, he saw his father and the scientist standing there. Their eyes scanned over the room, as if registering what was happening. There was blood and no vampire.

His father was the first to run forward. “Will! Will, are you okay?” he exclaimed.

“I’m fine,” Will croaked.

“Where is he?” the scientist asked, her voice a mix of demand and panic. “Where did he go?”

“Let me see your wrist,” his father said, reaching a hand out. Their questions seemed to topple over one another. “How badly are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” Will repeated, offering his wrist up for his father to see. The slit he’d made in his wrist was hidden by two puncture marks. “He didn’t take a lot.”

His father inspected Will’s wrist before reaching for the bandage and starting to wrap it. Over his shoulder, Will saw the scientist reach for her walkie-talkie and press a button. “The vampire has escaped!” she nearly shouted into the speaker.

She looked again at Will.

“What happened?” the scientist pressed.

Will shook his head. “I don’t know. One minute he was lying there, and the next, he was drinking my blood.” he lied. He couldn’t exactly tell him that he helped the vampire escape.

He gestured toward the straps on the bed, which were torn apart. Luckily, that reinforced his story that the vampire really had escaped, as it didn’t look like Will undid the straps himself.

His father pressed his hand to his forehead. “You don’t have a fever, and you’re not pale, so it doesn’t  _ look  _ like you lost a lot of blood. And it doesn’t appear you need stitches. How are you feeling?”

“I’m not dizzy or anything,” Will said, though his wrist did admittedly sting.

“I’m going to take you to the hospital to stay overnight for observation,” his father concluded.

Will groaned. “Dad, I’m  _ fine _ . I told you this already.”

His father started wrapped the gauze around his wrist carefully.

“If it were a simple cut or an animal bite, I’d believe you, but this is a vampire we’re talking about. We don’t know what the effects will be.”

Will tensed. He hadn’t exactly thought of that. He hadn’t thought that far ahead. He wouldn’t turn into a vampire now, right?  _ No.  _ He shook his head. All of the lore he ever read about vampires, their victims didn’t just turn. Then again, he wasn’t necessarily a victim. He offered his blood. Nerves suddenly took over, and Will nodded. “Just one night, okay?”

“Just one night,” his father repeated, cutting the gauze and fastening it down with clips.

The alarms overhead in the building started to wail and flash red, and Will and his father took that as their queue to go. They left the scientist behind, who still seemed to be in a panic, and headed down the hall at a somewhat fast pace. Will looked around anxiously, where he saw scientists running around frantic, and some were armed with what he could only guess were tranquilizer guns, but there was no vampire to be seen. Will felt admittedly relieved at that. He hopes the boy escaped without any trouble.

It wasn’t until the two of them were in the car, out of the parking lot, and back on the street toward the city that his father spoke again.

“Will, tell me what happened.”

Will looked down at his wrist. “I already told you what happened.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“It’s true. He broke free of the straps and started drinking my blood, and then he took off.”

His father sighed. “I know you’re not telling me the whole truth. I could see that the vampire broke free from the straps, but there are other parts of your story that don’t line up.”

“What do you mean?” Will asked, defensively.

“Well the vampire was under anesthesia and should’ve been for another few hours. How did he wake up?”

Will shrugged. “I guess their bodies don’t react to it the same way ours do.”

His father hummed, unconvinced. “And tell me why he would go for your wrist, why your sleeve was perfectly rolled up, and there’s not a single drop of blood on your clothes.”

Will turned red. His father was more observant than he gave him credit for.

“I rolled it up to apply the gauze, and I don’t know why there’s no blood anywhere else, he was very gentle about it.”

“Why would a starving vampire  _ gently _ go for your wrist instead of your neck where he could get more blood into his system faster?”

“I don’t know, Dad! Why don’t you find him and ask him?” Will grumbled.

“I would love to have a conversation with him, but he escaped. And I think you had something to do with it.”

Will turned his gaze and looked out the window. “I was just bitten by a vampire, and all you want to do is accuse me?”

“Will…” he relented. “I’m not trying to accuse you of anything. I’m trying to  _ help  _ you. If you really did have something to do with his escape, and they found out…”

“I think they have their hands too full to go after the son of the great Dr. Apollo.”

His father couldn’t help but give a small laugh at that. “I just hope you’re right. And I hope you’re telling the truth, for your sake. I don’t want to see you hurt or end up in any sort of trouble.”

“Just take me to the hospital, okay?”

“Okay.” His father continued to drive.

They arrived at the hospital soon thereafter, and his father directed him to a room as he checked them both in. He assured Will he would keep everything under wraps, and aside from nurses who would be checking his vitals every hour or so, there wouldn’t be anyone else to disturb him or ask him any questions.

Will was grateful for that. He entered his room and closed the door behind him. One of the perks of his father owning the hospital was that he could have his own room. He shut off the light and climbed into the hospital bed. He pulled the blanket over himself and laid down on the pillow.

He couldn’t stop his mind from replaying the conversation that had happened:

_ “Why did you do that? I could have  _ killed _ you.” _

_ “But you didn’t.” _

_ “Are you… are you helping me?” _

_ “I-I don’t know. I guess I am. But you need to get out of here, quickly.” _

_ “Thank you, Will.” _

It was short, and Will couldn’t help but think it over and over again. There was so much to think about. Firstly, when the vampire had spoken he seemed to be  _ concerned _ that he’d almost killed Will. Well that, and there was a slight hint of accusation in his voice. He could have definitely thought Will to be a fool for doing something so dangerous. Then again, Will probably was a fool for putting himself in that position, but that didn’t mean he regretted it either.

Then there was the vampire’s question. When he asked Will if he was helping him. There was distrust in his dark eyes, even Will could see that. But there was something else though. Hope?

And then the vampire thanked him. Actually thanked him by name. And for a moment, it scared Will that the vampire even knew his name before realizing he was in fact wearing a name tag. So not only could the vampire speak, but he could read, too. He must be more human than beast.

But the thing that caught Will’s attention the most was that the vampire could talk. And Will couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit of pride knowing that  _ he  _ was the one that the vampire chose to talk to. Those scientists tried everything in the books to get him to talk, but really, all it took, was some genuine, honest compassion. Will was glad to know that the vampire trusted him enough to even say something to begin with.

He just hoped that wherever the vampire was, he was safe and far, far away from here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 Okay, so I changed my mind - again - and will now be posting *2* chapters a day until I'm either caught up or finished writing. As always, kudos and comments are appreciated :)


	5. Aftermath

-Nico-

Nico ran and ran and didn’t stop running. He was fucking  _ cold _ . He’d been stripped of his own jacket and clothes when he’d been captured, and now he was traveling through the alleyways wearing nothing but a white t-shirt and gray sweats. He didn’t even have shoes. And the snow and ice were cold and taunting his skin with every step. But he couldn’t stop. Not now. Not when he finally had fresh air to breathe. And it wasn’t like he could die of the cold anyways. He just needed to stop complaining and suck it up. He remembered the warmth of that boy's blood on his lips and pushed on.

When he got too tired to run any longer, Nico slowed to a fast walk. He stayed in the shadows between buildings, afraid to be seen. From what he could gather from his surroundings, he was on the other side of the city from his apartment. It was going to be a long, and very cold, night.

Nico switched between running and walking for hours. He continued to look over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching him, and every passing car seemed to set his heart into a frenzy. But so far, no one had spotted him. If the scientists were looking for him, which he was sure they were, they hadn’t caught up yet. The city was large enough that he’d be able to move around relatively unseen, but it was exhausting nonetheless. When he felt like he might finally give up altogether, he saw his apartment building up ahead. He patted his pockets.

“Shit. My keys.” When he realized he couldn’t call for help he groaned. “My phone, too.”

Nico knew he wasn’t left with much of a choice, so he walked over to the building and pounded on one of the lower residence’s windows. He looked over his shoulder. No one was on the street. It was late, probably just before sunrise. He waited a few moments before pounding on the window again.

Just then, a light flickered on from inside, and the curtains pulled back. Nico was faced with a tall, blond boy, only about a year older than himself—as far as appearances went, anyways. The blond’s face scrunched in confusion

“Jason, let me in!” Nico hissed. He was freezing.

Jason nodded, held up a finger to let him know “one moment,” and disappeared from the window. Nico rushed over to the stairs and up them to the front door when the door finally opened.

Jason held open the door as Nico pushed through.

“Nico, what in the world happened?” he started. “Why are you wearing that? It’s freezing outside.”

Nico didn’t bother taking in the moment to let the heat sink back into his skin. “I think I was sleepwalking.”

Jason closed the front door and stood in the hall. He looked over Nico’s clothes. Nico was suddenly very aware that his shirt was tattered and speckled with blood from the barbed wire, and the bottoms of his sweats were soaking wet from the snow.

“Sleepwalking? That’s the best you can come up with?” Jason raised a brow.

“Sleep adventuring?” Nico offered. “I don’t know.”

Jason frowned. “I’ve been calling and texting you for a month now, and you haven’t been answering. Then all of a sudden at four in the morning, you show up  _ pounding _ at my window—”

Nico suddenly felt wobbly, his knees starting to give out. He hadn’t taken enough blood from that boy. He was still weak.

Jason must’ve noticed because he stopped scolding and put his hand on Nico’s shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m—I’m good,” Nico said, suddenly swarmed with dizziness. “Do you still have my spare key? I locked myself out.”

Jason nodded and ruffled his already bed-head. “I do. Come inside for a minute.”

Jason led the way to his apartment and unlocked the door to let the two of them in. As he searched for the spare key, Nico sat down on his couch, happy not to have to stand up any longer.

“I really was worried about you, you know,” Jason said. “You suddenly disappeared, and then there were all these tabloid rumors about a vampire. I thought something happened to you.”

_ Right _ , Nico thought,  _ Jason doesn’t know I’m a vampire.  _ Poor thing probably assumed Nico had just been attacked by one, not that it was he himself who was captured.

“I went back to Italy for a few weeks to visit family,” Nico said. The lie came easier than expected. “I’m sorry, I should have told you. I only got back yesterday. And with the time-zone differences, I just crashed. It must’ve messed up my sleep schedule. I think that’s why I was sleepwalking.”

Jason returned with the spare key and handed it over to Nico. “Next time maybe just let me know before you disappear?”

Nico nodded and tried at a smile, but it failed at his lips. He forced himself to stand up, clutching the key in his grip. He started toward Jason’s door before thanking him for his help and finally stepping out. He took the stairs up to his floor, and let himself into his apartment. Barely managing to lock the door behind him, Nico walked over to his fridge. He opened the door to see his stockpile of blood bags still there. His canines sharpened at the sight.

He pulled one out and didn’t bother to warm it up as he tore the plastic away with his fangs and started drinking. He gagged, nearly choking on the taste, as he drank. It was nothing compared to the hot, fresh blood he had a sip of only hours before.

_ Will Solace. _

Nico smiled.

  
  
  


-Will-

When Will opened his eyes in the morning, the first thing he saw was Cecil and Lou Ellen hovering over him, armed with bouquets of flowers.

Will sat up in his hospital bed, feeling the tips of his ears turn red with embarrassment.

“I’m not  _ dying _ , you know,” he grumbled.

Will looked at his wrist, which was wrapped in fresh gauze, and it didn’t seem like any of the blood had seeped through. To his surprise, the stinging sensation yesterday was just replaced with a small, dull ache that he couldn’t even feel unless he moved his wrist.

“What happened to you?” Cecil asked. “Was it a vampire?”

Lou Ellen gave him a pinch on his shoulder. “There’s no such thing.”

Will groaned. It seemed his father didn’t let anything slip about his injury, which was good. He hadn’t told his friends yet about the vampire, and he intended to keep it that way. The last thing the dark-eyed boy needed was more rumors and more tabloids on him. Will just hoped wherever he was, he was okay now. And a part of him felt weird for hoping that—he was a vampire after all. Who knew if he killed people?

Then again, the vampire hadn’t taken much of his blood, and despite the hungry look in his eyes, he managed to pull away from Will. Maybe he wasn’t a killer after all. Maybe he just took what he needed to survive. The whole ordeal was beyond comprehension. If Will hadn’t been there himself, he wouldn’t have believed it.

“Hello? Will?” Cecil’s voice broke through his train of thoughts.

“Sorry, I was just thinking.”

“Well you still haven’t answered my question,” Cecil said. “What happened to you?”

Will sighed and straightened up. “It’s really nothing.” He racked his brain for excuses to give. “I just had a slip up in the kitchen while I was cooking last night and cut my wrist. My dad, being a doctor and all that, insisted that I stay here overnight. I didn’t even need stitches.”

Cecil pouted. “Well that’s not an interesting story.”

This time Lou Ellen smacked the back of his head. “Just be glad he’s okay!”

Cecil scrambled for words. “Of course I’m glad! Of course.”

Will rotated and dropped his legs over the side of the hospital bed, hopping down. He was still in his own clothes, thank the gods—it would be too embarrassing if his friends caught him in an actual hospital gown for a minor cut. At least he had  _ some  _ dignity left.

“Okay, well I think it’s about time I check myself out,” Will said.

As he made his way over to the door, he was stopped by his father, standing in the doorway.

“Cecil, Lou Ellen,” his father addressed his friends. “Can you step out for a moment? I’d like to speak with Will.”

Will stopped in his tracks and looked over to his friends. They nodded, setting their flowers down on the end table, before skirting out of the room. That just left Will with his father, and Will was  _ not  _ looking forward to his pestering questions.

“How do you feel?” he asked, sounding more like Dr. Apollo than his father.

“Better than yesterday.”

His father walked over and pressed his hand to his forehead. He seemed satisfied to find Will didn’t have a fever. “No pain?”

“Just a bit if I move my wrist too much, but other than that, nothing.”

“You  _ seem  _ normal,” his father said.

“I am.”

“No… uh,” his father paused, searching for words, “cravings?”

Will scrunched his brow, confused.

“Blood, that is.”

Will scoffed. “No. No,  _ cravings. _ I’m fine, really.”

“I should check your teeth.”

Will rolled his eyes and gave a mouthy smile. “See? Fine. Everything is fine.”

His father frowned. “I would really feel better if you moved back home for a while—”

“Absolutely not,” Will cut him off. “I’m a college student. I’m living on my own.”

His father looked displeased.

“Please don’t do the whole overbearing doctor dad thing,” Will insisted.

His father ran a hard hand through his hair and sighed. “Okay, you’re right. Just… keep me in touch if anything changes, okay?”

Will nodded. He stepped past his father and joined Cecil and Lou Ellen in the hall.

“Let’s get out of here.”

And so they did. The three left the hospital and walked through the parking lot until they reached Lou Ellen’s car. She offered to drive Will home to his own apartment, but then Cecil begged him to hangout, and he finally caved. Maybe he needed a distraction from everything going on. A part of him wanted to spill, to tell his friends everything that had been going on over the last week. It might help him clear his head about the whole situation. But he knew he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t just tell his friends he helped a vampire escape.

So Will decided to keep his mouth shut on the subject. They reached Cecil’s apartment within fifteen minutes, and Lou Ellen parked the car on the street, and the three of them went inside. The two of them could tell that Will was in a mood, but they pushed him to talk about it anyways.

“You left our flowers at the hospital, you dumb idiot,” Cecil said to him.

Will snorted. “I had a minor scratch and you both showed up as though I was in a coma, and you came to say your goodbyes.”

“Well your dad wasn’t giving us any details on what happened! We were assuming the worst.”

“I’ll text him and ask him to bring the flowers home, okay?”

“Fine,” Cecil agreed.

So Will pulled out his phone and sent a text to his father saying just that. He felt sort of bad that he’d worried his friends so much and then left their gifts for him at the hospital, but he had way too much on his mind right now to be thinking about flowers.

Will sauntered over to the couch in the living room and collapsed. He hadn’t gotten much sleep from the night before with the nurses coming in every hour to check his vitals. Maybe coming to Cecil’s place was a bad idea. He was tired and just wanted to sleep.

But Cecil looked far from tired. He plopped down next to Will on the couch, a little too eagerly and held a magazine in his hands.

“Will, I have  _ got  _ to show you something,” he said, shoving the magazine toward Will.

Will took it and at first glance it just looked like a regular old tabloid, so he didn’t see what the big fuss was. He didn’t waste his time reading this kind of stuff. But then he caught focus on the front page. The headline read:  _ Vampire Escapes!  _ in big, bright bold red letters.

And on the cover was a graphic illustration of a black shadow with sharp white fangs and drops of blood staining their tips. It looked absolutely nothing like the vampire he’d seen. But the fact that it hadn’t even been a 24 hour turnaround, and the tabloids already had their hands on the story made Will nervous. He just hoped his name or his father’s weren’t mentioned in the article.

Will skimmed through the pages until he found the article that the headline was referring to. He started reading.

_ Four weeks ago, we learned of our first vampire case. For those of you who are unfamiliar, the vampire was captured after his second attempt to break in and steal blood from a local bloodwork clinic. Since taken into custody by the state, there has been little information released. They refuse to speak on the vampire’s behavior or history, even going so far as denying he exists! _

_ However, we conducted an interview with the two brave men who had captured him. Though they requested to stay anonymous, they confirmed the following. The vampire is a young caucasian man with hair as dark as night and eyes even darker. His fangs are long and sharp, ready to rip into flesh and suck someone day. He’s animalistic and bloodthirsty, lurking at night, scheming his way around the city, looking for his next meal. He shows no mercy to his victims and has a dangerous air about him. _

Will rolled his eyes. That hardly sounded like the vampire at all. If anything, he looked scared, and he did show Will mercy, only taking a small amount of blood before escaping. But Will kept reading.

_ It was last night when we learned that the vampire escaped captivity. We cannot name the place he was being held for security reasons, and those in charge declined to make a statement on how they could let such a brutal monster escape. All we know now is that he’s out there and ready for blood! We’ve appealed to the mayor to make a statement, asking questions on curfews and what will be done to protect the safety of our citizens, but he has declined to make a statement at this time. _

_ Beware and be safe! _

Will scoffed and handed the tabloid back to Cecil.

“That sounds like a load of garbage,” he said.

“See? I told you,” Lou Ellen added.

Cecil just rolled his eyes in turn. “You guys are no fun.”

“I don’t know, Cecil,” Will shrugged. “It really just seems like they’re grasping at straws, trying to cause some kind of mass hysteria or whatever. They didn’t even provide any details other than that this ‘vampire’ is has dark hair and eyes. That just sounds like some Hollywood stereotype, and even if it is true, it describes a pretty big sum of people in the world. It could be anyone. They’re just trying to spread paranoia.”

“That’s exactly what I said,” Lou Ellen agreed. “That, and they really don’t provide you with much information. They won’t tell us who these ‘brave men’ are or where the vampire was supposedly being held or even the name of the clinic they’re saying he was attempting to steal blood from. The whole story doesn’t even add up. If the vampire was trying to steal blood from a clinic, why are they talking about victims and telling us we’re all in danger?”

“Because we are, obviously,” Cecil said. “If his plans to steal blood from the clinic didn’t work, who do you think he’s going to turn to next? I’ll tell you who:  _ People _ .”

“Don’t you think if all this were true it would be in an actual reliable newspaper or the mayor would have commented on it?”

_ Unless they’re trying to keep it under wraps,  _ Will thought. But he didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to add fuel to Cecil’s fire or give him any sort of confirmation or validity on the subject.

Cecil held his tabloid close to his chest in defense. “Fine. Don’t believe it then. But don’t come crying to me when you get your throat ripped open.”

“I think we’d have a hard enough time crying if that were the case,” Will said.

“You guys are so lame, I swear,” Cecil rolled his eyes.

“We’re not the ones reading tabloids, Cecil,” Lou Ellen said.

They fell into a moment of silence. Will could feel his anxiety growing over this vampire thing. It was already too much to bear having been there himself, but now sitting here, talking about it with his friends, seemed to worsen the situation. He just wanted to go home and crawl into bed. At least while he was sleeping, he could finally shut off his thoughts.

“I think I’m actually going to head home,” Will admitted. “I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“Aw, but you just got here,” Cecil said.

“I can drive you home, if you want,” Lou Ellen offered.

“That would be great, if you don’t mind,” Will said, standing up.

“Not a problem at all.”

The two sat up and started toward the door, leaving a very disappointed Cecil behind on the couch. They gathered their belongings, put on their boots and jackets and headed out. Luckily, Lou Ellen’s car was still warm from their drive not too long ago. Once they were inside the car, Lou Ellen looked over at him.

“Cecil is starting to get really annoying with this vampire stuff, isn’t he?” she asked. “Like I love the guy, but come on, give it up.

Will huffed under his breath. “Honestly. Let’s just talk about something not vampire related for once, okay?”

Lou Ellen smiled. “Whatever our little hospital patient desires.”

Will sighed. “This is so embarrassing.”

“Yeah, who knew your dad was sort of a helicopter patient? Keeping you overnight in the hospital when you didn’t even need stitches?”

“You’re telling me.”

He was glad his friend attributed it to his father being some sort of hypochondriac rather than realizing there was potential for something to be actually wrong with him. He looked down at his wrist, still bandaged, and the memory of the vampire’s fangs biting into his skin made the wound sting all over again. He wondered if he should have had blood samples done. What if the vampire had some sort of venom in his fangs? What if there  _ was  _ something wrong with him? But he did feel completely normal. Wouldn’t he have noticed by now if something was off? Will knew he was overthinking the whole thing. He just needed to get home and calm down.

Lou Ellen dropped him off quickly after, and he said goodbye, and they made promises to hang out soon. Will was happy to be home. He entered his apartment, changed into a pair of sweats and a long-sleeved tee, and crawled into bed.

_ Beware and be safe! _

The final sentence of the tabloid article circled in his head. He suddenly worried if what he did was a bad thing. Did he really let danger back out into the world? It wasn’t his call to make that decision on whether the vampire was safe or not, but he’d done it anyways. What if someone got hurt because of him? There was a very real possibility that Cecil was right. If the vampire couldn’t get blood from clinics any longer, he very well could turn to people for his fix.

Will pulled the blanket over his head. What had he done? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 I'll add two more chapters tomorrow! As always, kudos and comments are appreciated :)


	6. Sedentary

Nico-

Nico slept through the day. It wasn’t exactly that he was tired, he had plenty of time to sleep while he was being held captive, but for some reason, the whole affair just seemed to exhaust him. He was depleted of any energy, and simply happy to be in his own bed. It was just past seven, and the winter sun had already set by the time he decided to crawl out of bed and take a shower.

As he let the hot water warm his skin, his thoughts turned back to the night of his capture. He could not let that happen again. But would they find him? They had his wallet, but his ID card was a fake. He didn’t have his real name on there, and the address on it led to a warehouse in the city. He didn’t have any credit cards in his wallet, as he paid for everything in cash. (One of the luxuries of having a wealthy Hades—the father of all vampires—to look after him). And he didn’t have anything else in his wallet that might identify him.

Then there were his keys, which he kept on a simple keyring without any membership cards on it. He did have a small keychain of a skull on it, but he doubted that it would lead back to him. And he highly doubted that whoever captured him would be able to find him again based on a simple key.

Last was his phone, and that’s what made him nervous. He paid for it all in cash, and he didn’t have any social media on it, which wasn’t the problem. It was the calls and texts that came to his phone that made him nervous. From what he could gather from his conversation with Jason last night, his captors didn’t use Nico’s phone to respond to anything. But that didn’t mean they wouldn’t try and use it now. And if they used his friends to get to him…

Nico swallowed. He hated the 21st century. Things were simpler before all of this technology that connected everyone together—that made people easier to track. The world was evolving and the world of vampires could not keep up. He ran his fingers through his dark, wet hair. There was nothing he could do about it now. He just hoped they didn’t keep his phone. That they just threw it away.

Nico stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around his hips, and he made his way to his bedroom. He still had just about an hour before stores closed, and he debated if he should get a new phone. He didn’t want one, not with all the risk it seemed to bring, but he also knew he couldn’t get along in this world without one. He sighed and relented. He’d need to get a new one. Nico got dressed into his usual all-black outfit, slipped into his jacket and boots, and wrapped a dark scarf around his neck. He grabbed some cash from the safe he kept in his apartment, his spare key, and left.

Once outside, Nico pulled his scarf up to cover the lower half of his face. Even though the sun had already set and it was dark out, he didn’t want to risk being recognized. He had no idea how much of the city was on alert or how many people were out looking for him. As he walked down the street, he saw there was a newspaper stand with a seller standing nearby. If there was anyway for him to get some more information, that would be it. He approached the stand and skimmed his eyes over the papers. He was sure his escape would be on the front page of every paper. But it wasn’t. He read over all of the major papers, and they had to do with big sports games, politicians, the stock market, and a bunch of other things that didn’t really interest him in this moment.

Then, on the bottom shelf, he saw a glossy cover tabloid magazine that read:  _ Vampire Escapes!  _ He grabbed a copy, as well as two other random magazines as to not be suspicious, as paid the seller. The seller didn’t seem to give two shits about who he was or what he was buying, so Nico was grateful for that. He carried his magazines under his arms and headed to the phone store.

The store was empty since they were closing soon, and he felt sort of bad showing up so late. But he also needed a phone, so he wasn’t left with much of a choice. Nico picked out the same one he had last time and worked with the customer service representive to get a new number and everything situated. He didn’t want to risk downloading his old contacts and cloud data on his new phone, unsure of whether the scientists still had his old one. He’d just have to enter new contacts as he got them. Thankfully, he had a lot of numbers still memorized for emergencies.

Nico left the store with his new phone right before close and as he walked, he started entering the contacts he knew off the top of his head. When he finished, he sent a text to Jason.

Nico:  _ hey it’s nico. i got a new number _

Jason:  _ what happened to your old phone? _

Nico:  _ i lost it abroad _

Jason:  _ bummer. let’s do something soon. i’m going stir crazy _

Nico:  _ sure thing. i’ll text you later _

Nico rushed to get home, keeping his scarf still covering his face, so that he could lock himself up in his apartment and read the article about him. Once inside, he pulled out the magazine, plopped down on his couch, and started reading.

He read over the whole thing about five times before determining it really didn’t have anything of value that he needed to worry about. It gave a very brief and very vague description of what he looked like, but it could match just about anyone in the city anyways, so he decided he was safe enough. If the scientists were looking for him, they were definitely keeping a low profile about it. He was relieved to know his face wasn’t plastered on every billboard and TV screen like a wanted criminal. At least it was safe for him to stay here a bit longer.

Nico wondered if he should consider moving. He usually moved every five years or so to keep anyone from realizing that he didn’t in fact age, but he’d only been here two years, and he admittedly liked this place. He didn’t want to be forced to move or feel like he was on the run. But he sort of was. Well, maybe he would worry about that some other time. Maybe he was safe after all. Maybe they expected him to run and be far, far away from here by now. That’s what any normal vampire would do anyway. But Nico was stubborn, and if he didn’t want to do something, he didn’t do it. He told himself if things started to get out of control again, he would leave immediately.

There was one last thing he needed to do to get everything straight, and that was to send a letter to Hades. Hades was the father of all vampires, afterall, and if anything were to happen, he should be the first to know about it. Hades had a way of getting situations like this under control. He didn’t keep a phone. He was sort of old fashioned like that. So Nico pulled out some parchment paper and a pen and started writing. He wrote to Hades what had happened. Where he was and how he was captured. He glossed over some of the experimentations, not diving into too much detail, and promised he never spoke or let any information slip. He relayed the details of his escape next. It ended up being three pages altogether.

Satisfied with what he’d written, he tore the article page from the magazine and folded everything together neatly before tucking the sheets into an envelope. He wrote to the address in Greece that he knew Hades received his mail at and didn’t bother writing a return address. He stuck a stamp in the corner, sealed the envelope shut, and left it on the counter to mail out tomorrow.

Nico slunk down on his couch. He hated having to write all of that down. It was like being forced to relive the whole thing, and all he wanted to do was shut it out of his mind forever. Now he felt sick, and his heart was racing. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on his breathing. He knew there was one thing that could calm him down, and his thoughts drifted to the blood bags in his fridge.

“No,” he told himself.

He needed to save those. He needed to build up his tolerance again and couldn’t rely on drinking blood every day. He’d wished none of this never happened. He felt like he was becoming completely undone.

-Will-

Will was thankful for the time off, but spending it in his apartment was not exactly how he planned to do it. Ever since the vampire incident, he’d been more than a little hesitant to go outside again. He knew he was being ridiculous. It wasn’t as though things went  _ badly, _ but the reminder of the boy’s sharp fangs sinking into his skin admittedly put him on edge. So no, he wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about going outside and crossing paths with who-knows-what.

But he knew he dug this hole himself. After all, he was the one who offered up his blood to the vampire in the first place. Will sighed. He knew he was letting this get to him, and what was done was done. There was no going back and changing it now. Even if he confessed to his father what he’d done, there was no fixing it. Will didn’t have any more information on the vampire than anyone else really. At least, nothing of value that could help them track him again. Will didn’t even get his name. But the vampire had gotten his, and that made him nervous. He must’ve read Will’s name tag on the way out the door, and it made Will feel very vulnerable. But then again, what could the vampire do with just his name? All of his social media accounts were already on private, so there was no way he could find him that way. And who was to say the vampire would even want to find him again?

If the vampire were smart, he’d be long gone out of this city anyway. Yet, Will couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being overly optimistic in that regard. He really didn’t know what the vampire was doing or what his intentions were, so he’d be safer off assuming the worst. And that was why Will locked himself up in his apartment.

For the last few days, it hadn’t been a problem. He was on winter break, afterall. And he mostly just made up excuses when Cecil or Lou Ellen reached out to him to hangout. But he had upcoming shifts at the diner he worked at, and he couldn’t ask anyone to cover for him. That, and he did sort of need the money. It was the holiday season after all, so he couldn’t just stop working because he was a little scared.

“There are plenty of people out and about living their lives, Will,” he tried to encourage himself. “You can’t stay in here forever.

_ But there aren’t plenty of people who have a vampire who knows their name,  _ the voice in his head responded. Will gave out an exaggerated sigh.

“Stop being ridiculous!” he told himself.

Just then, his phone rang, and Will looked to see his father was calling. He’d been calling Will every day, three times a day, ever since the vampire incident to check up on him. Will answered the call.

“Still alive and breathing, Dr. Apollo,” he said.

His father gave something of a laugh. “I’m being overbearing, aren’t I?”

“Just a bit.”

“No changes?”

“None at all.”

“That’s good to hear. I’m worried about you.”

“I know you are,” Will sighed for what seemed to be the hundredth time since this all happened. “But I promise you I’m okay, and if anything changes, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Okay.”

Will paused for a moment. “Have you… have you heard anything on the vampire?”

“No,” his father answered. “There has been no news or updates that I’m aware of.”

Will didn’t know how he felt about that. He should be happy because he’d got what he wanted and helped the vampire escape, but now he was somewhere out there doing whatever he pleased.

“I’m just nervous because he got my name off my name tag,” Will said.

“I know, Will,” his father said. “We’ve been over this. If he tries to make any contact with you whatsoever, you need to contact the authorities right away.”

“I just hope he doesn’t.”

“Me, too. And you know the offer still stands to get police protection, right?”

“I know, but I really don’t want to resort to that. It’d be so embarrassing, and everyone would be asking me a million questions.”

“You know your safety is a priority.”

“I know, Dad. If I change my mind at any point, I’ll let you know.”

“Okay, Will. I’ll call you a little bit later today.”

“Talk to you later.”

Will hung up the call, not feeling any better or any worse about the situation. It seemed the last few days, his father and him were just talking in circles about the same things over and over. Will wondered, briefly, if it would be a good idea for him to move back home for a bit, but he also didn’t want to put his father in any danger. He just hoped this would all pass, and soon it would be nothing more than a distant memory.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 Sorry this chapter is kind of short and not much happens, but I thought thought it would be important to get into Nico and Will's heads to see how they're handling things before jumping into the next plot point. I'll post more chapters today to make up for it! As always, kudos and comments are always appreciated.


	7. Diner

-Nico-

_ “What’s your name?” the woman asked in a comforting tone. _

_ The scientists had removed Nico’s mask, now securing him to a chair that was bolted to the ground. They might as well have left it on. He wasn’t going to say anything anyways. But the mask was replaced with a strange helmet of sorts that was strapped to his head. Nico simply glared at the woman, keeping his mouth closed. _

_ “You must call yourself something,” she continued. “Everyone has a name.” _

_ Nico met her question with silence. That’s when he felt a small sting of electricity course through him from the helmet. He winced, ever so slightly. Was that all they had? He could handle that. _

_ The woman continued. “I’m sure your mother would be disappointed that you don’t want to introduce yourself. I’m sure she loved the name she’d given you.” _

_ And that hurt. Nico shifted his jaw from one side to the next. He didn’t want to talk about his mother, and he didn’t want this woman to act as though she knew her. His mom had meant the world to him, and losing her all those years ago was one of the hardest things he’d ever endured. He couldn’t even grow up with her. After he’d turned, he couldn’t bring himself to tell her what had happened. He’d just left. And it wasn’t until years later that he learned of her death. He was still mourning. Nico broke his eyes away. _

_ “That seemed to get a reaction out of you,” the woman continued, speaking to herself more so than him. “Would you like to talk about her?” _

_ Nico didn’t dare speak or move. He needed to be more careful with his movements. She could see just by looking at him that what she’d said about his mother triggered something within him. He continued to look down, not wanting to give her any more of a reaction. _

_ “She must have been a lovely woman,” she continued, “to make you so sad to think about.” _

_ And even with this one-way conversation, this woman was digging at him. She was prying into his life and trying to unravel his most vulnerable self. Nico knew he couldn’t give into her false sympathies. Now was not the time to have a conversation about his past. _

_ When he didn’t say anything, he felt another shock. It was a bit stronger than the last, and he twitched slightly from the sensation. But in a matter of seconds, his body healed itself and the feeling was gone. _

_ It continued on like that. The woman continued to press and press for details. She talked about him and his past, poking and prodding where she shouldn’t as though she’d known him. She spoke of loss and betrayal and survival, and all of the things that made Nico’s heart break and break again. And although her guesses were only just that, she seemed to be on target with everything she said. She was in his head, and he couldn’t get her out. _

_ And every time Nico failed to answer, the electricity got stronger and stronger. It eventually got to the point where he didn’t know if his mind was breaking or his body, and he let out a long, desperate scream. _

Nico awoke from the nightmare, panting. He felt like he couldn’t get oxygen into his lungs fast enough, and the world around him was spinning in shadows. He sat up, too quickly, making himself even dizzier. He pressed his fingers to his temples, trying to massage out the oncoming headache. Even after he escaped, why did he have to dream of his capture? He was free now. Couldn’t they just get out of his head? 

Nico knew he couldn’t let anything like that happen to him ever again. Anxiety spread through him at the thought. Nico shook his head in an attempt to shake it out. He told himself to focus on the present. He escaped, and he was free now. Nico tried his best to focus on the next steps. He needed to feed, and he needed to feed  _ regularly _ so that he would have the strength to never be captured again. But he had a code when it came to feeding. He always got consent.

And that was the hard part of being a vampire. It wasn’t although humans were lining up down the street, waiting to get their blood sucked. On top of that, he couldn’t exactly go up to a stranger and ask for a taste. And he wasn’t close enough with any human to confess  _ by the way, I’m a vampire, do you mind if I…? _

There were animals, too. But Nico admittedly had somewhat of a refined taste, and hunting animals made him  _ feel  _ like an animal. He’s only done it when desperate. But after being forced to drink animal blood during his captivity, he never wanted to go near the stuff again.

So, usually, when he’d gotten blood in the past, he’d resorted to blood bags. And it was easier said than done, stealing blood. The hospital was too risky, so in the past, he resorted to stealing bags from blood drives or clinics. But he never took too much, at least, not enough for anyone to notice. But his stockpile was running low. And it wasn’t as refreshing as blood straight from the tap. It didn’t provide the same strength.

Now Nico was starting to think maybe,  _ maybe _ he’d have to find himself a human who would share their blood with him. The first person who came to mind was Jason. They’d been good friends, having lived in the same apartment building for the last two years, but something about telling Jason the truth just felt weird.

And he’d already made that mistake of telling his friend before. Well, not just his friend, but his crush. Just a few decades prior, he’d told his friend, Percy. And that. Well, that didn’t end well. Although Percy agreed to keep his secret about his being a vampire, he wasn’t exactly the blood-sharing type. They’d had sort of a falling out after that, and hadn’t been in contact since. Nico didn’t want to make that mistake again.

But where would he even begin?  _ How  _ would he find a bond like that, someone he could trust? Suddenly, the image of the blue-eyed boy with golden, curly hair crossed his mind. Nico’s heart skipped. The boy offered his blood once. Maybe he would again? But how would he even go about finding him in this big city? At least he had a name. Will Solace. And that was somewhere to start.

Nico pulled his phone from his pocket and texted Jason.

Nico:  _ are you home? _

Jason:  _ yep. why? _

Nico:  _ can i come over? i need your help with something _

Jason:  _ sure thing! i’ll unlock the door _

Nico slid his phone back into his pocket and pushed himself up off the couch. He was relieved to have an excuse to get out of his apartment. He needed to get out of his own head so he would stop reliving the past. And Jason was a great distraction. That, and he could focus on his new mission of finding Will Solace.

He headed down to Jason’s, locking his door behind him. He reached Jason’s door and let himself in, where he saw his friend locked in the middle of a videogame. He was hunched over, sitting on the couch, his thumbs tapping rapidly at his controller. He didn’t bother looking up when Nico walked in, so Nico locked the door behind him and joined Jason on the couch.

Nico waited for the blond to finish up his game, and based on the beaming smile he wore, Nico would say he’d won. Jason set his controller down on the coffee table and turned to Nico.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“I need you to use your social media to look someone up,” Nico replied, somewhat embarrassed.

Jason just laughed. “Dude, you need to get your own socials. You can’t use mine to stalk.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “I’m not  _ stalking. _ ”

He hated that word. It made him feel like a predator.

“That’s like… the definition of social media stalking, but,” Jason got up to get his laptop, “lucky for you, I’m a man of few morals.”

He grabbed his laptop off his kitchen counter and returned to the couch. He opened it up, and as it loaded, he asked, “So who is she?” He raised a playful brow.

“He, actually,” Nico cleared his throat.

“ _ He? _ ” Jason repeated. “Oh, I didn’t know you swung that way.”

Nico tried to hide his eye roll. “I do, but it’s not about that anyways.”

Jason’s laptop turned on. “Oh, then does that mean  _ I  _ have a chance?”

“You wish, blondie. And we both know you’re as straight as they come.”

Jason shrugged, nonchalantly. “I might make an exception,” he taunted.

Nico knew he was kidding, but he felt his cheeks start to blush regardless. “Whatever you say, Grace.” He cleared his throat. “Anyways, his name is Will Solace.”

“Okay, let’s see what we’ve got,” Jason muttered as he started typing in the Facebook search bar.

It only took about thirty seconds of scrolling, but Nico spotted Will only a few profiles down. “There.” He pointed.

Jason clicked on his profile, but to their dismay, it was set on private. Aside from his profile picture, where he wore an Olympus University crew neck, there was no identifying information. At least that was  _ something _ . But it was honestly hard for Nico to focus on anything other than how absolutely  _ gorgeous _ the blond was. Just as he’d remembered, he had golden, curly hair, which looked so perfectly tamed, and bright blue eyes. And with that smile plastered on his face, instead of the look of confusion and terror that Nico had seen in person, he looked even more beautiful. He looked like the sun incarnate.

“Okay, stop drooling,” Jason interrupted. “Let’s try Instagram next.”

And so they did, but it was the same result. Same profile picture and same settings on private. They tried twitter next. Although his twitter was also set to private, there was a little bit more information in his bio. He was a pre-med student. Well, that sort of made sense, considering he was among the scientists that had been poking and prodding at Nico. Pre-med made sense. But why would they let a student in there to observe him anyways?

“This guy is on tight security,” Jason concluded. “I have one other idea… but it’s kind of weird.”

“What?”

“We check to see if he has a LinkedIn.”

Nico’s brows scrunched together. “I’ll be honest with you, Jay, I have no idea what that is.”

Jason just laughed. “Gods, Nico, you sound just like my parents sometimes. I swear you are too old for your age.”

Nico huffed at that. If only Jason had any idea.

“Anyways,” Jason continued as he typed in the URL. “LinkedIn is like… like a professional Facebook? It’s where you upload your resumé and work history and network. Stuff like that.”

“Sounds boring.”

“Well not everyone gets to live the luxurious life of being rich like you do.”

He wasn’t wrong. Although Jason didn’t know much of Nico’s last or real life, after he’d had enough pressing questions, he did tell the other his father was rich, so he didn’t need to work. It wasn’t necessarily a lie. Hades  _ was  _ rich, and he  _ was  _ the father of all vampires.

Nico smirked. “Let’s check out his LinkedIn.”

And it turned out, that was the goldmine he was looking for. According to his profile, Will Solace worked at a nearby diner. A smile ghosted over Nico’s lips.

“Are you satisfied, stalker?” Jason asked.

Nico once again felt the blush return to his cheeks. “Thanks, Jason.”

“You know,” his friend continued. “There are better ways to get to know people than checking out their socials. How do you even know this guy anyway?”

“We met by chance,” Nico said, vaguely. “He helped me with something.”

“But why go to all this trouble if you don’t like him?”

Nico rubbed his temple. “It’s… it’s complicated. But I’d like to see him again.”

Jason slammed his laptop shut, more eagerly than anything else. “Well if you  _ happen  _ to run into him again—“ he fake coughed, “ _ stalker— _ maybe try getting his number next time?”

“We’ll see.” Nico stood up.

“Woah, woah, where you going?” Jason asked. “You really just came by to  _ use  _ me and leave?”

Jason placed a mocking hand on his chest, pretending to clutch his heart.

“You are  _ so  _ dramatic.” Nico rolled his eyes. “But I guess I could hang a bit longer.”

“Good!” Jason patted the couch cushion next to him. “Then I’m about to kick your ass in this game!”

They played a few rounds before Jason got up and headed to the fridge. Nico heard the sound of glass bottles clanking and knew what his friend was up to before he saw it. Jason returned to the couch with two bottles of beer and a bottle opener. He opened the first bottle and passed it over to Nico. But as he went to open the second, his hand slipped and his finger slid along the edges of the bottle cap.

Nico could smell it before he could see it. Blood.

He jolted up from the couch and took a few steps back.

“Hey, it’s okay, man,” Jason said. “I’m good, it’s just a little blood.”

Nico tried desperately not to look at it, but he could smell it nonetheless. Without warning, his canines started to throb, and he could feel as their points sharpened. He pulled the front of his shirt up over his nose, to both hide the smell and his fangs.

“I don’t… I don’t do well with blood,” Nico said. His whole body seemed to be growing hot. He wanted nothing more in that moment than to pounce on Jason. He took a step back.

“Really?” Jason raised a brow. “It’s really nothing. Just a little.”

“I’m sorry, I think I have to go,” Nico confessed.

“Nico, man,” Jason said, totally unaware of the threat, “how are you gonna go chasing after this boy in pre-med if you’re scared of a little blood?”

Nico couldn’t take it anymore. His fangs were aching and his heart was pounding, and everytime Jason just said the word  _ blood _ , he felt something primal course through him. He took a step toward Jason, with every intent to attack. He closed the distance between them and grabbed Jason’s arm a little too harshly, raising his hand to get a good look at the wound. And sure enough, the blood was there. Just a small amount, round and ruby in color, swelling up from the cut. He wanted to bite down and suck it all out. 

“What are you doing?” Jason asked

Nico looked up, snapping his mouth closed. Just then, seeing his friend there, so oblivious, so stupidly oblivious, to the whole thing snapped some sense into him. Nico forced himself to turn around, and he dashed for the door.

“I’m sorry, Jason,” he said as he slammed the door behind him.

But he didn’t stop there. He bolted up the stairs and fumbled with his keys to let himself back into his apartment. No sooner was he inside with the door locked behind him than he crumbled to the floor. His eyes started watering as his canine’s throbbed and his skull pounded. What was wrong with him? He’d almost attacked his friend. He could have seriously hurt Jason.

All that time locked up, starving and drinking animal blood, really seemed to take a toll on him. They’d fed him daily, breaking up his whole routine of waiting weeks between feedings. All of the control he’d worked so hard over the decades to build was slowly crumbling around him. He wasn’t himself anymore. And Nico couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down his cheeks as he squeezed his eyes closed.

  
  


-Will-

The diner was relatively quiet, which wasn’t surprising for a Wednesday night. There was only Will and one other waiter, Connor, on staff. The one thing about working with Connor, was, well, he didn’t necessarily work. He mostly just goofed around and made conversation with staff and customers alike. But that was fine by Will, especially on a slow night like this. He could get more tables, which meant more tips, which he saved away for when he’d be paying back his pre-med school loans.

It was after the dinner rush, and things were slowing down even more when Connor came up to Will.

“Hey man!” he said. “Do you mind if I clock out for the night? There’s not much going on here, right?”

Will finished scribbling something down on his notepad and looked up. “Sure, make sure you check with Travis first, but I don’t mind covering.”

Connor rolled his eyes. Travis was his older brother and owned the diner. He usually let Connor get away with anything he wanted, but he would surely chew his ear off for it first.

“Fiiiiine,” Connor drawled. “I’ll go talk to him.”

Will couldn’t help but smile. The diner would be closing in a few hours soon anyways, so he didn’t mind closing up himself. Will went to the kitchen to place the order he just took before returning back to the front. The bell above the door chimed as someone pushed it open, and Will looked up, all smiles, ready to greet whomever just walked in.

That’s when Will’s heart nearly stopped.

A boy dressed in all black walked into the diner alone. He had dark hair that nearly reached his shoulders, and deep, dark eyes. Will recognized him immediately. The vampire.

He swallowed and instinctively went to hold his wrist, still bandaged up. Not because it was still injured, but because the scar tissue was still healing, and he didn’t want anyone to ask any questions.

The vampire’s eyes slipped down to his wrist, seeing what he was doing. He offered a sad smile—meant to be comforting maybe?—and crossed the diner before taking a seat at one of the booths. Did vampires even eat?

Will looked around nervously. Connor already had his apron off and was well on his way out the door. That left Will by himself. Will. Alone. With this vampire. Will shifted his weight from one foot to the next, unsure of what to do. He’d been told time and time again by his father that if the vampire tried to make any contact with him that he was supposed to contact the authorities. But now he was hesitating. Did he really want to turn the boy back over to the scientists? He’d be putting him right back into their unethical hands.

So what was there to do next? Will thought about it. There really wasn’t much more he  _ could _ do. He guessed he needed to take the vampire’s order, right? Otherwise Travis would have his head for ignoring a customer. Especially on a night as dead as this.

Will slowly crossed the room and approached the table where the dark haired boy sat. He cleared his throat, but that didn’t keep his voice from cracking slightly when he spoke.

“What can I… uh… get for you?” Will knew he probably sounded stupid, but he was struggling for words.

“Just a coffee,” the other said. “Black.”

Will couldn’t force another word out, so he simply nodded. His hands were shaking too bad for him to even write anything down, so he just turned on his heel and started toward the kitchen. Once inside, he leaned against the wall, practically panting for breath.

“You okay?” one of the cooks asked him.

Will swallowed and nodded. “Y-yeah, I’m fine. I just need a coffee for a table. Please.”

Will forced himself off the wall and regained his balance. He couldn’t cower in the kitchen forever. Though he wished he could. How did this vampire even find him again? Was it pure coincidence? Was he  _ trying  _ to find him? Did he want something from him?  _ Oh by the gods, is he here to kill me? _ Will considered his options.

He could sneak out the back and run, but surely he would be fired for that. But getting fired was a small price to pay for survival. Just then, the cook set a mug of black coffee on the countertop in front of him.  _ Or I can just ask him what he’s doing here,  _ Will told himself. Maybe confronting the vampire would be the best for him, at least that way he didn’t have to live with the fear of the unknown.

Will grabbed a hold of a small dish and napkin, and set the coffee mug on top of it. He didn’t bother grabbing milk, cream, or sugar, since the boy said he wanted to drink it black anyway. He started out of the kitchen and walked over to the table where the dark haired boy sat. He set the coffee cup down in front of him.

“Thank you,” the boy said, he looked upward and offered another smile, but his eyes were searching.

If Will didn’t know any better, he might think that this boy was just as nervous as he was. But why would he have any reason to be? Will just nodded, again, and turned away to tend to his other tables.

The next two hours passed, and all of his tables seemed to eventually clear except for the one he actually wanted to. The dark-haired boy simply sat at the booth, taking occasional refills of his black coffee, and not seeming to mind staying for so long. Will got the growing feeling that he was waiting for him, and that thought made him nervous. He wondered again if maybe he should contact the authorities. But when images crossed his mind of what those scientists had done to the boy, he knew he couldn’t lead him to that fate again.

“I’m dead. I’m so dead,” he murmured under his breath.

When it finally hit ten o’clock, Will knew he needed to tell the boy that the diner was closing. The kitchen staff had already cleaned up for the night, and Travis had left hours ago shortly after Connor had.

Will walked over to the table, nervously. He had the check in his hand, which he felt stupid giving, because it was only for a cup of coffee and refills were free. As he walked over, he realized it probably was as foolish as it looked, so he crumpled the check in his hand. He’d just let the coffee be on the house. He wanted to be in this boy’s good graces anyway.

When he finally reached the table, the other looked up at him with large, dark eyes, expectantly.

“It’s uh… on the house,” Will said.

A smile twitched at the other boy’s lips. “Stop doing me favors or I’m going to run out of ‘thank you’s.”

Will chuckled, out of nerves more than anything. “It’s just a coffee.”

“More like four.”

“Fee refills.”

“Ah, I see,” the boy mused.

Will stood there, awkwardly, not exactly sure what to do or say next. He was about to open his mouth to speak, when the other boy started talking.

“Actually, would you mind sitting with me for a minute?”

_ What? _ Will’s internal dialog exclaimed. But his body moved before his mind had a chance to catch up, and he sat down on the other side of the booth.

“I’m sorry I just showed up at your work like this,” the boy started, “but I didn’t know how else to find you.”

“How  _ did  _ you find me?” Will asked.

The boy turned red and dropped his eyes. “LinkedIn.”

Will couldn’t help but laugh at that. Of all the things—that was the last one he expected. And hearing the other confess it, as embarrassed as he was, just made it funnier.

“I was afraid it might be, some, you know,” Will dropped his voice low, “ _ vampire  _ thing.”

The other picked up his head, and it was his turn to crack a smile. “This may or may not be surprising to you, but I don’t have some magical radar power.”

Will shrugged, as if to say  _ could’ve fooled me _ .

The vampire then cleared his throat. He turned his eyes away again, and Will could see the blush rising to his cheeks. He looked out the diner window, thinking, as if choosing his next words to say. Will felt a little more at ease, seeing the other as uncomfortable as he was. Maybe he wasn’t going to die tonight after all.

Then the dark haired boy turned to face him again, swallowed a deep breath and said, “I was wondering if you would like to get a drink with me sometime. As a thanks, for… uh… helping me.”

And  _ that _ nearly made Will fall out of the booth. Of everything he was anticipating the other to say, that certainly wasn’t it. Will froze, and he could feel his eyes grow wide. The other looked equally as embarrassed, if not moreso. A thousand thoughts went through Will’s mind at that moment:

_ Did he just ask me on a date? _

_ Do vampires even date? _

_ Well, he  _ is  _ attractive. _

_ Shut up, Will—he’s a vampire! _

_ Yes! Which is exactly why you should say yes—you need to stay in his good graces. _

_ But what if he’s dangerous? _

_ But he seems genuine enough. _

_ It’s just a drink. _

_ Wait—  _

“A drink of… what?” Will asked, suddenly very conscious that vampires drank blood.

Will didn’t think the other could turn any redder under that olive complexion of his, but somehow he managed.

“Beer? Wine? Liquor?” the dark-haired boy spewed out. “I don’t know, whatever you drink?”

And seeing him all worked up like that suddenly calmed Will. So, he hadn’t meant drinking blood. Okay, that was good.

“I could go for a glass of wine this weekend,” Will said, the words out of his mouth before he could think.  _ What am I saying? What am I doing? _

But the other boy seemed satisfied enough, relaxing with Will’s answer. “This weekend it is, then. Do you have a number? It might be easier to text you than find you at work again.”

Will swallowed, nodded, and reached for his phone. At this point, he seemed to be on auto-pilot more than anything. He passed the other boy his phone, and took the other boy’s phone in turn. He punched in his number, looking it over three times to make sure he entered it right, before handing it back.

When he got his own phone back, he looked at the contact.

“Nico,” he read, under his breath.

“Oh,” the vampire said. “Sorry, I guess I forgot to introduce myself. But yeah, I’m Nico.”

“And I’m Will,” Will said, even though the other already knew his name, he was unsure of what else to say.

“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you, Will,” Nico smiled and tucked his phone away. He then stood up from the booth. “I guess you guys are closing now, so I should probably get going.”

Will just sat there, dumbfounded for a moment, before standing up as well. And there, standing next to Nico, he realized how much taller he was compared to the other. Nico hardly reached his shoulders in height. It made Will feel less… vulnerable. But he told himself Nico was still a vampire, and he needed to tread carefully.

“Well, thank you… for coming…” Will said awkwardly. He knew he probably sounded dumb the second the words left his mouth.

“And thank  _ you  _ for the coffee,” Nico said. “I’ll see you this weekend then.”

“See you,” Will managed to say.

And like that, Nico was headed toward the door. The bell above gave a soft jingle as he opened the door and let himself out. Will just stood there in place, unable to get his feet to move. He didn’t know how long he was standing there before he felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder. Will nearly jumped out of his own skin as he turned around, before he realized it was only Connor behind him.

“Connor, what are you doing here?” he asked.

“Travis sent me back to lock up. Apparently he forgot to leave you the keys,” he grumbled. “But that’s beside the point, who was the guy you were sitting with?” He wriggled an eyebrow.

“J—just a customer,” Will stammered.

“You don’t sit at a table for so long with ‘just a customer.’”

“I… I don’t know. He just wanted to talk.”

“I see,” Connor smirked. “Well I hope he comes back then. For your sake.”

Will wanted to groan, but he stopped himself.

“Let’s just lock up and get out of here,” Will said.

“Couldn’t agree more.”

They locked up the diner up and headed out, and Will started walking in the direction of his apartment. He continued to look over his shoulder and around him to make sure Nico wasn’t following, but there was no one around. He felt like he was being pulled in opposite directions, having agreed to go on a date with him, but also still being paranoid. What was he thinking? Clearly, he wasn’t. He was supposed to contact the authorities if he saw the vampire again, not agree to go get drinks with him.

But being around Nico, he didn’t really seem like a vampire at all. All Will could see in him was the boy who’d been nothing more than a guinea pig for the scientists’ experiments. Someone who trusted him. Someone who wanted to thank him for helping him. So, maybe it couldn’t be all that bad, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 Did you cringe that Nico actually stalked Will's LINKEDIN and showed up at his work? Don't worry - me too - I cringed just writing it. But desperate times call for desperate measures! I'm on a roll today, so I'll upload a few more chapters. As always, kudos and comments are appreciated :)


	8. Hesitation

-Nico-

Nico crashed down on his bed, wide awake. What had he been thinking? He asked Will on a date?! Could he even call it that? It was just wine after all, but now, now for some reason he couldn’t get the word  _ date  _ out of his head. That wasn’t his intention at all.

No. He’d gone to the diner hoping to talk to Will and thank him for what he did. He wanted to maybe,  _ maybe  _ bring up the idea of asking for some blood. But seeing the other sitting there, so obviously nervous, so obviously scared of him, broke something within him. Nico suddenly felt very guilty over the whole ordeal, and couldn’t possibly bring himself to ask for blood. Not after everything Will had already done for him. Not after seeing how obviously scared he was.

Nico knew he should have just left. It was a bad idea all around. He knew he should have stuck to animal blood and thieving blood bags, but for some reason, being around that golden, curly haired ray of sunshine, he wanted to stay. He wanted to talk. And then he went and asked him out on a date?

Oh gods, he must’ve looked so foolish. What if Will only said yes because he was downright too scared to say no? That idea alone seemed to be enough to eat Nico alive. He hated being seen as some scary, predatory monster. He hated being a vampire. He just wanted to be normal, to be human. And maybe that’s why he asked Will on the date. Maybe he was grasping for something normal. And Will, Will seemed to offer that. There was something kind and steady and righteous about him.

Nico pulled the pillow over his face and screamed into it. What was he possibly thinking? He didn’t even  _ know  _ Will. Who was he to judge his character? Was he projecting? And now Nico felt like he was coming undone like some teenager again over this. He wondered if he should just text Will and cancel. But there was a very selfish part of him that wanted to see him again. And there was an even more selfish, more primal part of him that hoped, maybe this would all lead to him getting a little taste of blood. But that wasn’t fair to do to Will, and he hated his instincts for even letting him think like that.

Nico pushed the pillow off his face and got out of bed. He needed to calm his mind. He walked out of his bedroom and into his kitchen where he opened the refrigerator door. He looked at the blood bags. He only had three left. He really should save them. He  _ should  _ be smarter than this. He’s just had one the other night, he could wait another week, right?

But staring at the red liquid in the bag made his own heart pound and his canines throb. He wanted it  _ now.  _ He was so fucking hungry. And despite all of the years Nico had spent training self control, he reached for one of the blood bags and tore open the corner. Without bothering to heat it up, again, he started drinking. He drank so fast and so desperately, he could feel drops dribbling down from the corners of his mouth and down his chin. He squeezed the bag tighter as he gulped. And Nico drank the whole bag in a matter of what seemed like seconds, before slamming it down on the counter and huffing to catch his breath.

He was damn near losing his mind.

  
  
  


-Will-

Will awoke with a ray of sunshine creeping in through the cracks of his curtain and shining in his eyes. He grumbled, pulled the covers over his face, and attempted to go back to sleep before he remembered. Nico, a  _ vampire _ , had asked him on a date!

And then suddenly any chance at falling back asleep was long gone as his heart started racing and his head started pounding. Will sat up, completely disheveled.

There was no way, right?

It had to have been a dream.

But as Will recalled the events from the night before, he knew it was a far cry from a dream. It was, in fact, very,  _ very  _ real. Will sat up and reached for his phone on his bedside table, and when he saw that he had a text notification, he thought his heart was going to full-stop.

Nico:  _ you don’t need to get drinks with me, by the way _

Sent at 4:37 A.M.

Will just stared at the text for a long time. Why did Nico text him at four in the morning? Was it a vampire thing? Did vampires really sleep during the day and wake up at night? Or was it just a Nico thing? Will realized he had absolutely no idea what vampires were really like outside of any lore he’d seen in books, movies, and TV shows. Will shook his head. That wasn’t really the pressing matter though. The pressing matter was the content of the text:  _ you don’t need to get drinks with me, by the way,  _ he read it again.

Was this Nico’s way of backing out? Did he change his mind and suddenly no longer want to get drinks with him? Well, Will didn’t even know why Nico had asked him in the first place, but the 6 hour turn around of changing his mind was also… odd. Will didn’t know what to say.

Did he want to get drinks with Nico? There were a whole sleuth of reasons why he shouldn’t.

  1. Nico was a vampire



Okay, Will couldn’t think of a second reason. It seemed all of his other reasons were just subcategories of Nico being a vampire. Like:

1A) Nico could kill him

1B) Nico was  _ wanted _

1C) Nico might just be using him for blood

1D) Did he mention that Nico could kill him, yet?

“Okay,” Will said aloud to himself, in order to put things into more perspective instead of letting his mind race, “but if Nico wanted to kill me, he already had the chance to do it. Twice.”

So maybe Nico wasn’t planning on killing him. But that still didn’t rule out that he was wanted, and he was a vampire, and he still probably wanted blood. But then again, if he were using Will for blood, he wouldn’t have just sent a text giving Will an out. He would’ve just continued on with the date. So what  _ did  _ Nico want then? Was it really a date? Or was it just to thank him for his help? Gods, if it were a date, why in the world would Nico want to date him? Weren’t there other options, like actual other vampires he could date?

Then Will realized he had his  _ read receipt  _ on his phone.

“ _ Oh no, _ ” he whispered.

He’d read the text maybe fifteen minutes ago, and still hadn’t responded. If Nico saw he’d read it, and saw that Will hadn’t responded yet, he might think Will actually was backing out? Was he? Will was suddenly struck with the question of why he cared. There was some strange, inexplicable part of him that didn’t want to disappoint Nico. And he didn’t know what. He barely even knew Nico. It couldn’t just be that he found Nico attractive, which he did, by the way. There was just something about him that pulled Will in like a tide. Maybe it was a vampire thing. Maybe Will was being lured by some unknown supernatural cause.

Will clicked out of his text and dialed Cecil.

After a few moments of ringing, his friend picked up.

“Hey Will, what’s up?” Cecil asked, sounding like he’d just woken up as well.

“I kinda need your advice on something?” Will poised it as a question, unsure why he was seeking Cecil’s advice.

“Okay, do you want to grab breakfast? I can call Lou Ellen.”

“That sounds great. Wanna go to our usual in like an hour?” Will asked. “I still need to shower.”

“Sure thing. See you there!”

The call ended, and Will set his phone back down. He quickly made his way to the bathroom, took a shower, and changed into a pair of jeans and an Olympus University hoodie. He kept looking at his phone, anxiously, waiting for it to light up with a follow up text from Nico, but there was nothing. He’d just hoped the vampire was sleeping, so he didn’t see how actually long it was going to take Will to reply.

It wasn’t much longer after that when Will was pulling on his boots, a winter jacket, and a beanie. He headed out of his apartment and locked the door behind him as he did so. He decided he would walk to the coffee shop, rather than hail a cab. He needed fresh air to help clear his thoughts and subdue the ever-growing anxiety that was building up in his chest.

He reached the coffee shop right on time and picked a table as he waited for Cecil and Lou Ellen to show up. The waitress came over, and he ordered three mugs of hot cocoa to start, guessing it wouldn’t be long before his friends got here anyway. He checked his phone again. No texts. He re-read Nico’s text for what seemed to be the hundredth time. What in the world was he possibly going to say? Just as he asked himself that question, again, the coffee shop door opened and Cecil and Lou Ellen walked in together.

They sat on the other side of the booth, and Will told them he’d already ordered them hot cocoas. But they didn’t seem to care too much about it, their brows knitted in curiosity.

“What do you need advice about?” Lou Ellen asked. “It’s not like you to ask for advice about… well… anything.”

Cecil leaned in, all too eager.

Will sighed and sat back. “It’s about this guy…” he started.

Cecil broke into a smile, and Lou Ellen looked all the more concerned.

“The infamous Will Solace, coming to  _ us  _ for love advice?” Cecil mocked, definitely pleased with the whole ordeal.

Will felt himself turn red. “You’re right. This is a bad idea. Nevermind.”

“Oh, come on, Will,” Lou Ellen said, reassuringly. “Tell us what’s going on.”

Will thought it over. He wasn’t exactly going to spill to his friends that a vampire had asked him on a date. There were several reasons for that. Then it would be obvious that Will was the one who helped Nico escape, Cecil would probably blab it on to the tabloids, he would probably look like an idiot for even considering it, and it would put Nico in danger… And yeah, it would put Nico in danger. So instead, Will gave a very watered down version of the story.

“Well, there’s this guy. And I met him by chance. I helped him out of something, and I thought that would be the last of it, that I’d never see him again,” Will explained, being as vague as possible, “but then he showed up at the diner last night, and asked me on a date.”

“He showed up at the diner? Sounds like fate, if you ask me,” Cecil commented.

“No, it’s not like that. It wasn’t by chance. He looked me up on LinkedIn of all places and found out where I worked,” Will added.

“That’s kind of creepy,” Lou Ellen said.

“Exactly,” Will agreed. “But then as my shift was ending, he asked me to sit down with him and asked me on a date. Well, for drinks, so I don’t really know if it’s a date or not.”

“Sounds like a date to me,” Cecil said.

“So I said yes, and we exchanged numbers, then this morning, I woke up to a text from him that said I didn’t need to go on the date with him.”

The waitress then showed up with their hot cocoas and passed them out. She took their breakfast orders and quickly disappeared.

“Okay, so then don’t,” Lou Ellen said.

“No?” Will asked.

“Well, obviously there are some red flags here, right?” she continued. “Like, he definitely stalked your social, and instead of adding you like a normal person, he went to where you worked and asked you on a date after only meeting you, what, once? I don’t think you’d be here, asking for advice, if you thought that was a good idea. He could turn out to be some creepy stalker.”

“Well, he did seem really embarrassed about it when I asked how he found out where I worked,” Will said.

“So he has some amount of self-awareness. That’s good I guess,” she answered, dryly.

“I think you should go, Will!” Cecil interrupted. “You always say ‘No dating while I’m in school! I’m too busy and don’t need the distraction,” yadda yadda, then this guy shows up, and all of a sudden you’re considering it?”

Will gripped his mug of hot cocoa a little tightly. He was definitely embarrassed. But Cecil wasn’t necessarily wrong, either.

“I’m just saying,” Cecil continued as he took a sip of his hot cocoa, “he  _ must  _ be really good looking if you’re even considering it. Red flags and all that.”

Will wanted to disappear. This conversation was not helping at all. It was like Lou Ellen was the rational part of his brain, and Cecil was the voice of his… what…. Heart?  _ Oh gods, _ Will realized, he thought of his heart. He couldn’t possibly be crushing on a vampire.

“I just don’t know what to reply to his text,” Will continued. “Do you think he doesn’t want to go anymore since he gave me an out?”

Lou Ellen lifted her eyes in thought. After about a moment she said, “No, he’s definitely interested in you. Maybe the text was an afterthought to make sure you were interested in him. He probably realized what he did was really creepy to some degree and didn’t want to make you feel like you were on the spot.”

“So I should go, then?” Will concluded.

“That’s not what I was saying, like,  _ at all _ ,” Lou Ellen laughed. “But it sounds like you’ve already made up your mind.”

“I haven’t though,” Will insisted.

“Yes you have, otherwise you wouldn’t come to his defense by being like ‘oh, he looked so embarrassed,’ and ‘i don’t know how to reply,’ and ‘i should go, then,’ if you weren’t definitely leaning toward going.”

“I’m just trying to give you the full picture!” Will defended himself.

The waitress suddenly returned with their breakfast orders. She set Will’s plate of pancakes in front of him, and suddenly he didn’t feel very hungry. The waitress asked if they needed anything else, and when they said no, she told them to enjoy their meal, and was off again. Will picked up his fork and poked lazily at his food.

“It’s just a drink, Will,” Cecil said, already digging into his food. “Just go. And if it totally sucks, or if he turns out to be a total weirdo, you just don’t go on a second date.”

Lou Ellen frowned. “I guess going on the date  _ would  _ clear up some of your hesitation. Then you might know exactly how you feel. It’s not like you have to marry the guy.”

Will seemed to relax a little bit with their response. And he realized that since he felt more at ease with their reassurance, that he probably was seeking their approval afterall. Well, they didn’t exactly know the whole truth either, but he was afraid if he told them the whole truth, they would flat-out say ‘no,’ and there was a part of him that didn’t want to hear that. Yep. There was a part of him that really did want to get drinks with Nico.

“Well,” Cecil said, grinning, “if he stalked you, I think it’s only fair we get to stalk him back. I wanna see what this guy looks like if he has you all hot and bothered like this.”

“I don’t…” Will hesitated. “I don’t actually know his last name. So I don’t think it’ll work.”

Cecil pouted but dismissed it.

“How did he get your last name then?” Lou Ellen asked.

“I was wearing a name tag when we met?” Will admitted, awkwardly.

“What?” she scrunched her brows together. “You didn’t exactly tell us how you met, anyways.”

“At the… at the uh… hospital,” Will lied.

She hummed, satisfied enough with the answer. Will was just glad she didn’t press on anymore than that. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, and went back to Nico’s message. It was now half past eleven in the morning, and he’d read the text over two hours ago. But Nico hadn’t sent any follow up as of yet. Will started typing.

Will:  _ i’d still like to get drinks, if that’s okay. saturday? _

Heart absolutely pounding, he sent the text before he had the chance to second guess himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 Who here also gets insane anxiety texting their crush and planning first dates? I mean, I've never gone on a date with a vampire, but I can only imagine all the second guessing that would happy. Anyways, kudos are comments are always appreciated. I think I'll post one more chapter today :)


	9. Drinks

-Nico-

Will:  _ i’d still like to get drinks, if that’s okay. saturday? _

Nico read the text over and over. He couldn’t believe it. This guy took over two hours to respond to him, and Nico had definitely already given up, when he got this text. He’d spent the last two hours trying to distract himself, playing videogames, texting Jason, fooling around on his guitar, but he couldn’t help but check his phone every thirty seconds to see if Will had answered him yet. Over two full hours. By the time the first hour passed, Nico concluded that Will was definitely  _ not  _ interested, and that he was a fool to think otherwise. Who would want to get drinks with a vampire, anyways? And so Nico had resigned to taking a shower, because the warm water helped him feel better, and trying to plan out what he wanted to do for the day. 

He could sleep, probably, as he’d barely gotten any the night before, way too anxious about his conversation with Will at the bar. And then he sent a damn text at 4:37 in the morning, which was stupid, because then after he sent that text, he could  _ not  _ fall back asleep. So he was admittedly exhausted. So Nico decided to lay in bed, heart going a mile a minute, and trying to force himself to get some shut-eye. He was close to drifting off again when his phone buzzed. He’d grabbed it so quickly, it nearly fumbled out of his hands.

And it was that text from Will:  _ i’d still like to get drinks, if that’s okay. saturday?  _ Nico read it again. Of all of the things he thought Will would text him back,  _ if  _ he texted him back, he’d already convinced himself that that would be the very last thing. And now, here he was, absolutely struck, that Will responded  _ and  _ still agreed to go. It took all of Nico’s willpower not to text back right away.

He wanted to, for sure. But also, Will took over two hours to respond to his text, so he didn’t want to come across as overly eager by texting back immediately. Not that Nico was into playing head games like that, but he’d already given himself a bad first  _ and  _ second impression, so he didn’t want to give himself a third. He’d already hurt Will when he drank his blood, too desperate and hungry to even think about being gentle, then showing up at his workplace after stalking his social media? Yeah, Nico definitely didn’t give off great impressions.

But now Will was giving him a chance to start over. He could get drinks with him, and be normal, and get to know him, and thank him for his help. Nico could do that, right? But there was something that made him feel nervous about the whole thing. And that was probably because it felt like a date. Dating a human. He’d never done anything like that. He’d only ever dated  _ once _ , and he remembered how poorly that went. His vampire ex-boyfriend had turned him into a vampire, and then left him, never to be seen again.

“I won’t do anything like that to Will,” Nico muttered under his breath, promising himself.

Unable to sleep any longer, Nico crawled out of bed and got dressed. He texted Jason because he needed some type of distraction, and Jason was full of them. They made plans to get out of their apartments for a bit and go get lunch. He felt like he owed Jason lunch anyways, after throwing an absolute fit over seeing a sliver of his blood and storming out of his apartment the other day.

About a half hour had passed since Will had texted Nico, and Nico was sure that was more than enough time to actually respond. He wasn’t going to play the who-will-take-longer-to-answer-whose-texts game. So he pulled out his phone and texted a reply.

Nico:  _ saturday works. _

He stopped typing for a minute before sending. For a moment, he thought if he should offer to pick Will up for their… date, but then decided against it. He didn’t want to seem like the ultimate stalker of the century, trying to get Will’s home address. So instead he added:

Nico:  _ saturday works. want to meet me at the lotus hotel bar around 8? _

Nico went down to the first floor of the apartment complex outside of Jason’s door. No sooner had Nico had knocked on Jason’s door, then his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out eagerly to see a text from Will.

Will:  _ i’ll see you then :) _

Nico was sure his heart stopped beating for a minute. Was that a  _ smile emoji?  _ And Nico was also happy that Will hadn’t taken forever to respond to his text again. He was glad they weren’t playing head games. Nico barely noticed as Jason opened the door and stepped out.

“What are you smiling at?” Jason asked.

Nico felt his cheeks blush, but he couldn’t help the smile on his face. “I think I’ve got a date,” he admitted.

“You think or you do?” Jason lit up.

“I do?” Nico said, unable to believe it himself.

“With  _ Will Solace _ ?” Jason pressed.

Nico nodded.

“How did you manage  _ that _ ?” Jason laughed.

Nico blushed even further. “Well, I went to that diner he works at last night…”

“What?” Jason cut him off. “That actually worked? Well this guy must be out of his mind if he thought that was chivalrous to any degree.”

“Shut up, Grace,” Nico mumbled.

“Shutting up!” Jason laughed. “Okay, so where are we going to get lunch? I wanna hear all about this date of yours, but I swear my stomach is going to eat itself alive if we stay standing in this hallway any longer.”

They left the apartment complex and headed toward Nico’s car which was parked on the street. Jason always insisted on taking Nico’s car, since his own was a “piece of crap” as he put it, but Nico didn’t mind. Nico put the car into drive and headed toward a nice restaurant in the middle of the city. Although he didn’t, couldn’t eat human food, he did feel bad about the whole blood ordeal that had happened to Jason the other day and wanted to treat him. From the reviews he read online, the place they were going to seemed nice enough.

When they pulled up, Jason looked out the window and his mouth fell open.

“Nico, this place is  _ nice _ ,” he commented. Then he looked down at what he was wearing. “I think we’re both too underdressed.”

Nico shrugged, not really caring. “If they turn us away for wearing jeans and sweatshirts then we just find somewhere else to go. It’s no big deal.”

“Suit yourself,” he said, and before he opened the car door, he added. “You’re paying, right?”

Nico huffed a laugh under his breath. “I already told you I would.”

They got out of the car and headed in toward the restaurant. When they stepped inside, the hostess looked them over, unable to hide the confusion on her face. Okay, so they were definitely underdressed. Nico thought maybe he should have picked somewhere more casual. But the hostess didn’t say anything, instead, grabbing two menus and asking them to follow her to a table.

They sat at a rather nice booth toward the front, where they could see the city street out the window. It wasn’t snowing today, which was a nice break from all of the days it did snow, but the streets were covered in slush and piles of snow that had been pushed up onto the curb from snow plows. It wasn’t sightly, if Nico were being honest, but he didn’t mind. Jason seemed to pay it no attention. He simply pawed through the menu, looking over all of his options.

“I think I’m going to get the chicken parm,” he concluded, looking up at Nico. “What about you?”

“I’m not hungry.” Nico shrugged. “I already ate.”

“What?” Jason closed the menu. “You took me all the way here, and you already ate? I swear it’s like I’ve never seen you eat before.”

Nico was prepared for this conversation, so he said, “I try to eat clean, so I homemake all of my meals.”

“Well whatever you’re eating, I don’t think it’s enough,” the other commented. “Maybe that’s why you never had a growth spurt.”

Nico glared. “I’m not  _ that _ short, you know.”

“Shorter than me.”

“Yeah, well, you’re sort of a giant, so I’m really not all that worried.”

Jason laughed. “Don’t get all jealous on me now.”

“I’m far from it.”

A waiter approached their table with two glasses and a pitcher of water. He set it down in the center before taking Jason’s food order and Nico’s drink order. Nico opted for a glass of one of their, admittedly expensive, red wines. Just because he couldn’t eat, didn’t mean he couldn’t drink, and he didn’t want to sit here with nothing in his hands. When the waiter finished taking down their order and left, Jason leaned in across the table and lowered his voice.

“You know, they probably think we’re dating,” he said with a smile.

Nico rolled his eyes. “I’m so out of your league.”

Which Nico knew was probably a lie. If anything, he felt as though Jason were out of  _ his  _ league. With his height, his cropped blonde hair, and his blue eyes, he was certainly a sight to behold. Nico couldn’t help but wonder if Jason weren’t straight, if he’d have made a move on the other by now. Normally he didn’t try to intermingle with humans so much because it really complicated things, but maybe he would have made an exception for Jason. Regardless, it didn’t matter, because Jason was very much straight.

Jason scoffed at Nico’s comment, but the smile was still evident on his face. “I’m just saying, this seems like a place where couples would go.”

“Well then maybe you should bring Piper here next time.”

The color drained from Jason’s face. “Actually, we broke up last night.”

“What? Really?”

Jason tried to shrug it off as if it were nothing, but Nico could still see the hurt in his eyes.

“Yeah, she totally dumped me,” he continued. “I guess she felt she was only dating me because her mother approved of me before realizing on her own that she just didn’t feel the same way about me that I felt about her.”

“Ouch,” Nico frowned. “That’s kind of a cruel way to put it.”

“I know, right?” Jason added, leaning back in his seat. “Absolutely no mercy. But, whatever, at least I know I’m good with parents.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “You are something alright.”

“Anyways, tell me all about this Will Solace. Now that i’m single, I have to live vicariously through you.”

“Okay, so….”

Nico relayed the details to Jason of how he went to the diner. He told him about ordering his coffee and waiting patiently for Will’s shift to end. He explained that Will sat with him, they had a brief conversation, and then Nico asked him for drinks. He glossed over their brief texts this morning, and told him their date was set for Saturday.

By the time he finished telling Jason everything, the waiter returned with Jason’s chicken parmesan and Nico’s glass of red wine. They continued to talk about Nico’s date, to which Nico admitted he was actually nervous because he hadn’t dated in what seemed like forever, and Jason gave him a few conversation pointers. They talked a little bit more about Jason’s falling out with Piper, although Nico tried not to press the subject too much. When everything was said and done, the waiter returned with their bill, placing it in front of Jason.

Jason smirked all too proudly and looked up to Nico. “Since they gave  _ me _ the bill, you know that means they think I’m the top, right?”

“What?” Nico asked, confused.

“You know, the top,” Jason continued. “Like, I’m the man in the relationship.”

‘“Okay, but we’re both men and that doesn’t even make any sense,” Nico said, snatching the bill from Jason’s hand.

“You’re like the dumbest gay dude ever,” Jason said.

“Whatever, Grace,” Nico mumbled, looking the bill over. “I can’t keep up with all your expressions.”

“It’s not like it’s that uncommon. Do you really not know what I’m talking about?”

The confusion on Nico’s face was evident enough.

“I’m the top, and you’re the bottom,” Jason said, giving a devilish grin. “Which means _ I  _ stick it in  _ you _ .”

Nico’s face turned red. “Okay, Jay, we are done with this conversation now.”

Jason just laughed, satisfied that he was able to embarrass Nico.  _ Whatever _ , Nico thought. It didn’t matter what the waiter or Jason thought. And he didn’t even understand how giving Jason the bill had anything to do with their sex life. Not that they had one… but if they did.

Nico pulled out his wallet, took out some cash, and set tucked it under the bill. He set the payment down on the table and put his now-empty wine glass on top.

“Let’s just go,” Nico said, standing up and putting on his jacket.

“Whatever you say, my little bitch.” Jason laughed again.

Nico knew Jason was never going to live this down.

  
  
  


-Will-

Nervousness didn’t even begin to describe how Will was feeling as he buttoned up his shirt. His hands were trembling as he did so. He thought he looked decent enough, wearing a pair of dark khakis and a light blue button-up shirt. He’d managed to contain the curls of his hair with a little bit of water and a small amount of gel, too. It wasn’t his appearance that set him on edge, it was the fact that he, Will Solace, was actually going on a date with a vampire.

Maybe it wasn’t too late to back out. He looked at the clock. It was seven. He still had an hour to text Nico and say:  _ sorry, i’ve been thinking, and i decided this probably isn’t a good idea.  _ Right? It was mean, maybe even cruel, when he had the last few days to cancel and waited last minute, but waited until the absolute last minute to bail.

Will pulled out his phone and went to his messages with Nico. They hadn’t texted since Thursday, and the last message was from Will which said:  _ i’ll see you then :)  _ Was it odd that they hadn’t texted since? Neither of them even followed up with the other to even make sure their date was still on for the night. Will didn’t have much experience with dating, because of his whole ‘no dating during school’ rule, but he did think it was probably weird. Maybe Nico forgot? If that was the case, maybe Will shouldn’t feel bad about cancelling. He started typing:

Will:  _ hi nico, i’ve been thinki _

He hadn’t gotten any further into his text when a new message popped up on his screen. It was from Nico.  _ Oh no _ , that meant Nico saw him typing, too. Will read the text.

Nico:  _ sorry i haven’t been in contact these last few days. but i’ll still see you at 8, right? _

Will panicked. Like, full blown panicked. He was definitely ready to cancel on Nico just a moment ago, but now, seeing his new message, he felt guilty for wanting to cancel. He didn’t understand why he cared so much about the other’s feelings. But for some reason, he did. Will texted back:

Will:  _ it’s okay, i haven’t been in touch either. i’m still good to go, if you are? _

Nico:  _ i am _

Will didn’t know what in the world he was possibly doing. He was about to cancel. He could have just cancelled then. But instead he agreed to go? It felt like he was at war with himself, ignoring the shouting voices in his head that warned him:  _ WILL SOLACE, DO NOT GO ON A DATE WITH A VAMPIRE. _ Yep. He was definitely ignoring those voices. Will finished putting himself together, did a few breathing exercises, which he felt kind of pathetic for needing to do, but the pre-med in him told himself to stop being so prejudiced. It was necessary, and there was nothing wrong with it.

When Will was finally ready, he left his apartment, walked outside, and hailed a taxi. He considered walking, which was what he liked to do to clear his head, but it was night, and it was winter, and he didn’t want to show up to his date with a red face from the cold. A taxi pulled over and picked him up, and they were on their way to The Lotus Hotel. There was definitely no backing out now. Will clenched his fists as he sat in the back of the taxi. He had nothing to be afraid of, right?

Soon enough, he arrived, and he paid his fee, stepped out of the cab, and crossed the sidewalk to the hotel. They were getting drinks at the bar. He checked his phone for the time. It was 7:56 PM, and he still had four minutes. He wondered if he’d shown up too early and if it was weird. He really didn’t have much experience dating. Maybe he should have asked Cecil and Lou Ellen for advice on this, too. But it was too late now. He was already here. Will loosened the tension building in his shoulders and stepped inside.

It was gorgeous inside, with beautiful high-arched ceilings and intricate pillars made of marble. There was music playing in the lobby that sounded like classical piano, and Will looked to the right, where he saw the bar. It was somewhat dimly lit, but even in the darkness, he could see how fancy it was. Will suddenly felt very underdressed. He should have looked this place up before deciding what to wear. But then another thought crossed his mind. Could he even afford this place? Sure, his father had money, and he did, too, by default, but he’d also been working hard at the diner to save up and only spend what he made. This place was way out of his budget-range.

Will felt stuck. Unsure of what to do now. He slowly walked over to the bar area, looking around. He didn’t know what to do or where to sit, or if he picked his own seat, or if a hostess sat him. He felt so foolish being here. He wanted nothing more than to leave. Suddenly, he felt a presence from behind, and a voice spoke.

“Will?”

Will knew that voice. He turned around and saw Nico standing there. He was dressed really well, in black skinny pants and a black button up shirt. His long hair was slicked back neatly, not perfectly where it looked over-done, but nice enough and still had some body to it. It made Will feel better knowing that they’d dressed somewhat similarly, and that he wasn’t completely underdressed. But Nico… Nico looked  _ good _ . Like, really good. Like Will might start drooling if he looked any longer good. Nico’s dark eyes met Will’s. Will swallowed the knot in his throat.

“Hi,” he managed to say.

Nico smiled. “I already got us a table, if you’d like to follow me.”

Will nodded, forgetting how to speak altogether, as he followed the other to a table. This whole thing felt totally surreal, and he couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that this was a date with a vampire. Will  _ really  _ could not get past the whole vampire thing. If Nico had been human, he’d still be nervous, sure, with the fancy bar and the really attractive date, but not to this extent. They sat down at a small table across from each other, which seemed to be somewhat secluded from the rest.

Nico smiled again and looked up at Will. Will couldn’t hold his eyes any longer, or he thought he might start sweating, so he reached for the drink menu instead. His eyes scanned over the wine-list, and his eyes grew wide.

“I really…” Will confessed. “I really don’t think I can afford this place.”

He kept his eyes down on the menu, unable to look at Nico from embarrassment.

“Drinks are on me, of course,” Nico suddenly assured him. He reached out and took hold of the menu to take Will’s eyes off the prices. “It’s the least I could do for everything you’ve done for me.”

Will nodded.

“Do you drink red or white?” Nico asked.

“Red, usually,” Will answered. He very occasionally drank wine, save for holidays and family dinners, but when he did, it was red.

“Dry or sweet?” Nico continued.

“I actually have no idea,” Will confessed. “I’m not much of a wine drinker.”

Nico raised a brow, a look of confusion on his face. “I thought you said you drank wine when I asked.”

“I think I panic-answered.”

That made Nico smile and a light chuckle escaped his lips. “I’m sorry, I guess i did kind of put you on the spot.”

Will didn’t know what to say, so he opted not to answer.

Nico cleared his throat. “I’ll order us a bottle, and if you don’t like it, I’ll order something different, and if you don’t like that, we can maybe try something you usually drink?”

“You don’t have to go to all the trouble,” Will said.

“It really isn’t.”

Soon after, the waiter came up to their table and took their order. Nico ordered a bottle of something Will could barely catch. It sounded Italian? And Nico’s accent became so strong and fluid, Will wouldn’t be surprised if he actually spoke Italian. When the waiter nodded and walked away, Will turned to Nico.

“Do you speak Italian?” he asked, suddenly embarrassed. He wondered if that was a stupid question to ask.

“ _ Ovviamente _ ,” the other answered. “Of course.”

“Are you from Italy?” Will asked, trying to keep the conversation going. He hoped it didn’t sound like an interrogation.

“I am,” Nico answered, not taken off guard in the least. “At least, that’s where I grew up. I visit sometimes, but I’ve lived in America for most of my life.”

And suddenly Will wondered how long his life actually was. How  _ old  _ was Nico? Just looking at him, he appeared to be the same age as Will, but didn’t vampires stop aging once they turned? He could be five-hundred years old for crying out loud, and Will had absolutely no idea. But the other also had a habit of being embarrassed and awkward. He didn’t have the kind of grace and fluidity that Will would normally associate with what a vampire would be like. Maybe he wasn’t that old? Was it rude to ask?

As if reading Will’s mind, Nico answered. He cleared his throat.

“I was born in 1932, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Nico answered, shyly. He dropped his gaze, obviously feeling uncomfortable.

“Wow,” the word escaped Will’s lips before he had the chance to stop himself. So Nico was sort of old, but not as old as he feared. Then suddenly, before Will could think he added, “So you were alive during the best decade of music then?”

Nico let a smile cross his face. “And what decade is that?” he teased. “Be careful, Will, this could be make or break for you.”

“The 70s of course,” Will answered, confidently.

Then Nico let out a laugh. A real, genuine laugh. “I couldn’t agree more. But I was not expecting that from you.”

Will shrugged, and he could feel his nervousness beginning to fade. Their waiter returned with a bottle of Italian red and two glasses. He poured the glasses about a third of the way full, asked if they needed anything else, and when Nico declined, he promptly left. Nico took hold of his glass and raised it to Will. Will awkwardly took his own and raised it as well.

“To the Ramones and Led Zeppelin,” Nico smiled, and took a sip of his wine.

Will also took a sip. It was the perfect blend of sweet and dry, having somewhat of a smoky air about it. And the room temperature pour tasted really good.

“Actually,” Will cleared his throat, “I was more referring to The Beatles and Fleetwood Mac.”

Nico laughed again, and Will could feel himself blushing.

“You know,” Nico said, “that actually makes more sense now. Regardless, the 70s did have a lot of talented musicians. Do you play any instruments?”

“I play a little guitar,” Will confessed. “Nothing special, just easy chords and melodies. Do you?”

“I play some guitar, too.”

“You’re probably better than I am.”

“You would think with all the time I’ve had to practice, but I’m really not all that good.”

“I’d like to hear you play sometime,” Will said. And it wasn’t until after he said it, that he registered what he’d actually said. They weren’t even ten minutes into their date, and Will was already talking about a second one?

Nico looked just as shocked as he was. “I… uh… I guess I could play for you.”

Will didn’t even know what to say. So instead, he took a sip of his wine.

“What about you?” Nico asked. “What do you do in your spare time?”

Will was grateful for the subject change. “Well I’m in school for pre-med right now, and I also work at the diner and shadow at the hospital, so I don’t have a lot of free time. I’m usually at class, studying, or working. But when I am free, I usually hang out with my friends. We have game nights, get food, go to bars sometimes, the usual.”

“That sounds nice,” Nico said. “It also sounds like you’re very busy.”

“I am. Usually. Right now I’m on winter break, which I’m really grateful for.”

“You could use a break every now and again,” Nico commented, taking a sip of his wine.

And the conversation evolved naturally from there. They talked about their plans over the next following weeks. Will commented how he was spending Christmas with his father, and Nico said he was likely going to spend it at home. And it occurred to Will that Nico probably didn’t have any family alive, and he wondered if Nico had any vampire friends he could spend it with, but he thought the question too personal to ask. Then Will felt an instinct to invite Nico to his family Christmas, which was definitely way out of the question because they barely knew each other, and Will’s father  _ knew  _ Nico was a vampire. So that was definitely not going to happen.

So instead, Will turned the conversation to other hobbies. On top of both playing guitar, they discovered they both liked to play games, though Nico played more video games while Will opted for board games; they were both well-traveled, although it seemed Nico could cross every country in Europe off the list, and Will had been more all over the place; they both watched the same TV shows and liked the same moves; and they both shared a mutual interest in Greek and Roman mythology.

Will learned that while he preferred American football, Nico followed soccer; that where Will was very social, Nico tended to be more reserved; and while Will preferred the warmer months, Nico was more of an autumn person himself. They equally talked about their interests and dislikes well into the night, and as they finished their second bottle of wine, Will looked at his phone and realized it was after eleven. It was getting late, and the bar would be closing soon, but for some reason, Will didn’t want the night to end.

All of his worries and nerves seemed to have dissipated sitting here with the other. The dark-haired, really attractive boy he sat with no longer seemed or felt like a vampire. He was just Nico. And Nico was amazing. He wanted to kick himself for ever even considering cancelling the date at the last minute, and was so happy that he decided to come. And from the smile that Nico wore, Will could only guess he felt the same.

The bar closed shortly after, and Nico paid the bill as promised, in cash. Which Will thought was a little dangerous to be carrying that much cash around, but it also wasn’t his place to ask, so he didn’t. Once they were set, they grabbed their coats and started out of the hotel bar. They stood outside of the hotel, in the cold, where it had started to snow.

“I should probably hail a cab, now,” Will said, awkwardly. He didn’t know how to let the night end.

Nico looked at him, perplexed. “I could give you a ride home, if you’d like. If you don’t feel too uncomfortable.”

Will nodded. “Okay.”

So they walked down the street a bit before arriving at Nico’s car. It was an all-black car. Foreign, but not overly fancy either. Nico opened the passenger side door for Will, and Will could feel a faint blush as he climbed in. The car had that new-car smell and was pristinely clean. It almost made Will feel uncomfortable even sitting in it. Just a moment later, Nico appeared on the other side, climbed in, and started to drive.

Will gave him directions to his apartment. They didn’t talk much, some of the awkwardness returning, and as they drove, Will realized he was feeling a bit tipsy. They’d managed to split two bottles of wine, and Will didn’t drink very often, so his tolerance was admittedly low. He looked over to Nico in the driver’s seat, who seemed to be fine, not affected by the alcohol at all. Will wondered if vampires could even get drunk.

And when that thought hit him, he was once again very aware that he was in very close proximity of an actual vampire. And that made him feel somewhat nervous again. He didn’t know why, as the whole night had gone so well. But now, he felt somewhat trapped in the car, and a hundred hesitations crossed his mind. He was tipsy while Nico wasn’t. Nico was driving, so he had total control over where to take Will. What if he didn’t take him home? What if he did something to him?

Will panicked and looked out the car window and recognized the street. He was close to home. His heart settled a bit. They turned onto his street, and Nico drove slowly as they approached Will’s apartment.

“There,” Will pointed up ahead.

Nico slowed down even further and pulled his car off the road to the curb. The car had barely managed to stop when Will was reaching for the handle. He didn’t know what came over him. But then Will heard Nico put the car into park. Was he not planning on leaving? Will turned to the other, confusion in his eyes.

Nico cleared his throat, awkwardly, and lowered his gaze to Will’s wrist.

“I was hoping I might be able to take a look at that?”

Will hesitated. So Nico  _ did  _ want to drink his blood. This whole thing was just a charade to get Will drunk so Nico could drink his blood. He felt foolish for letting himself fall for it, and he also felt very scared. He didn’t know what to do. He could just get out of the car and run, right? But how fast was Nico? Did vampires have some sort of superhuman speed? Could he catch Will and be even more angry that he’d tried to run?

As the thoughts crossed his head, Nico turned even redder, as if realizing what he’d just said.

“I’m not…” Nico struggled to get the words out. “I’m not going to hurt you or anything, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Will nodded. That was  _ exactly  _ what he’d been thinking. Now what? Could he trust Nico? He didn’t know what else to do, so pushed up his jacket sleeve, and he unbuttoned the link of his cuff and rolled up his sleeve. He showed Nico his wrist. The puncture marks were still there, already scabs, while the cut he’d made looked more like a deep scratch at this point.

“Does it hurt?”

“Not much,” Will confessed.

Nico suddenly took Will’s hand in his, and Will immediately froze. He felt like a deer in headlights, completely unable to move. All of his instincts told him to  _ run _ , but it seemed like his muscles had turned to stone. He looked up at Nico, and watched as he ran his tongue over his lips. Will tensed. He felt like he had no control over himself or his body as Nico raised Will’s wrist to his lips.

_ This is it. He’s going to suck out all my blood, and I’m going to die. _

And Will remembered the stinging pain of Nico’s fangs when he’d bitten into him last time, and he feared that feeling again, but he was too damn scared to move. He let out a whimper as Nico pressed his lips to Will’s wrist.

But then there was nothing.

No bite. No sting of pain. Just lips. A kiss? And after a quick moment, Nico pulled away, releasing Will’s hand. Will felt a shiver crawl down his spine, and he looked at his wrist in disbelief. The wound was gone as if it was never there. There wasn’t even a shadow of pain left.

Will looked up at Nico, slowly withdrawing his arm. Nico was looking away, down into his lap, so Will couldn’t see the expression on his face. Will looked back down at his wrist. Nico had  _ healed  _ him. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get the words out, Nico spoke.

“Please get out,” he said, a waver in his voice.

But Will didn’t move. He was so confused. What was with this sudden turn of emotion?

“Get out,” Nico repeated, his voice harsher.

He didn’t need to say it a third time. Instinct kicked in, and Will felt fear. Real fear. Like, he knew he was in immediate danger type of fear. Will turned abruptly, pulled on the door handle and let himself out. His heart was racing as he closed the car door behind him, and he nearly ran to his apartment building. He fumbled with his keys to get the door unlocked, but he could already hear the engine of the car behind him as it turned on and pulled away.

What had just happened?

With Nico gone he finally felt calmer. He let himself into his apartment building and walked over to his door. Nico had healed him and then suddenly freaked out? Was it guilt or anger or something else entirely?

Will shrugged off his jacket and kicked off his boots. The whole night had gone so well and then there was suddenly just a change of emotion. Will wondered what it was. There must have been a trigger of some kind. Then Will realized, that was exactly what it was. Nico was triggered by blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 Oof, sorry if this chapter was a little on the longer side. I have a few things to say. Anyone else get strong bisexual vibes from Jason? 'Cause that's totally my head canon. Also, the 70s *is* the best decade of music, and I strongly believe that both Nico and Will would agree. Maybe I'm projecting? lol. Anyways, I think I'm done posting for the day. I have about 24 chapters written so far, and I expect the story to end up between 35-40, but only time will tell. Kudos and comments are always appreciated :)


	10. Red

-Nico-

Nico could hardly see the road as he drove. His vision was foggy and his head pounded and his canines ached in his mouth. His whole body ran hot, as if he’d caught a fever in seconds, and he could hardly focus. He cursed every word in the book as he drove, and he couldn’t think clearly. He knew he shouldn’t be driving at this point, but he needed to  _ get the fuck out of there  _ as fast as possible. Luckily, he wasn’t too far from his own apartment.

When he got home, he parked his car, but the feeling in his head wouldn’t go away. He rushed up the apartment steps and let himself inside. He wobbled as he carried himself up to his floor, unlocked the door, and spilled inside his apartment. He needed blood, and he needed it  _ now. _ He ran over to the fridge, where he yanked the door open so fast, he’d nearly torn it off, and he went for one of the two remaining blood bags. He didn’t have time to scorn himself for wasting it. He couldn’t fucking think.

He bit into the bag and started chugging greedily. He didn’t care about the cold or the taste or the fact that he sort of wanted to gag. He just chugged and chugged, letting it run down the sides of his mouth, but he didn’t care. And when he finished the bag, he licked his lips, but his eyes still saw red. He wasn’t satisfied. So without thinking, he went for the second bag, and chewed off the corner of that one, too, and started drinking in a frenzy. He swallowed the blood desperately and without care until he was about halfway through, and he finally realized what he was doing. He was depleting his supplies. But he couldn’t stop. Not now. Not with the taste of blood on his lips and the bag still half-full.

So he drank the last of that one, too, and the fog in his head finally started to clear, and his vision came back into focus. His heart went from thundering in his chest to a dull ache, and his teeth no longer hurt, but still craved more. He squeezed the plastic bag. He’d finished it. He finished all of his emergency stock.

“ _ FUCK!”  _ he cursed and threw the bag onto the ground. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuuuuuuck.”

And he couldn’t stop swearing because he didn’t know what else to do. He was so angry. No, he was beyond angry. He was filled with rage. He was so fucking stupid and careless. He’d really gone through all of his blood. And now he was used to drinking so much and so soon, and he didn’t know how much longer he could hold off. And when the hunger became too much, he was afraid he might hurt someone. He was afraid he might hurt someone the way he almost hurt Will.

Nico’s knees went weak beneath him as he crumbled to the kitchen floor.  _ Gods,  _ he’d almost hurt Will. The night had been going along just fine. No, better than fine. It had gone perfectly. Everything was so natural and normal, and he’d been so at ease sitting there with Will, drinking wine, talking about anything and everything. And then the night ended. And Will was going to call a cab. And in Nico’s stupid fucking head, he thought it was a good idea to offer to drive Will home. Partly because he didn’t want the night to end, and partly because he wanted to thank Will, really thank him, for saving his life.

And as they pulled up to Will’s apartment, Nico’s stupid fucking head thought, well maybe instead of just thanking him repeatedly, he could  _ show  _ him he was grateful. So he wanted to heal Will. He wanted to heal the wound that he’d left in the other’s wrist. And Nico knew that his saliva would take the pain away and kiss the wound goodbye, so he took Will’s hand, licked his lips, and pressed them to Will’s wrist. And that’s when everything went wrong.

Instinct took over. Some primal drive clouded his head. He could feel the warmth of Will’s skin in his hands. He could feel the pulse of his blood just below the surface of his skin. Gods, he could practically hear and smell the blood pulsing. It was all too much. And his fangs sharpened on their own, suddenly jutting out, ready to bite, ready to drink. And Nico somehow managed to pull himself away. But his head fucking burned like fire and he couldn’t bring himself to even look at Will because he was afraid the other would see his fangs, and he told him to get out.

But then that idiot, that stupid, beautiful, golden curly-haired blue-eyed ray of sunshine, didn’t fucking move, and Nico thought he was just about to fucking lose it. So he told him to get out again, and couldn’t hide the bite in his voice. The threat. He sounded like he was going to rip Will open right then and there, and that was his last warning. Luckily, Will listened and scrambled out of the car.

“I ruined it,” Nico said, his eyes starting to water with a mix of sadness and anger. “I ruined it.”

Everything up until that point had gone so well, and Nico just had to push his luck. He had to take things a step further, and he almost snapped and completely lost control. Now what was he going to do? He’d drank every last drop of every last blood bag, and he had no idea where he was going to get his next fix. He couldn’t bring himself to think clearly enough.

Nico forced himself off the floor to his feet and carried himself to his bedroom. He plopped down on his bed and pulled the covers over his head, not bothering to change into pajamas. Tears continued to stream down his face, and he couldn’t bring them to stop. That’s when he heard his phone buzz. Nico’s chest tightened and he reached into his pocket for his phone and pulled it out.

Will:  _ are you okay? do you want to talk? _

And Nico just stared at the text, completely baffled. Had he not ruined everything? He was positive he’d completely scared the living daylights out of Will? Was Will really that stupid for reaching out, or was Nico really just that lucky that the other hadn’t given up on him yet? Nico started typing, then stopped, then started again, then stopped. He had absolutely no idea what to say in response. Should he apologize for his behavior and try to explain? Or would that just scare Will off? Should he pretend it never happened? No. It was obvious something was wrong, and Will had definitely picked up on it if he had texted him that to begin with. Before he could think of a response, he received another text.

Will:  _ thank you for healing my wrist, by the way _

Nico scoffed. He really didn’t know what to make of any of this. Healing Will’s wrist? He’d almost fucking torn it open! Did Will really have no idea how truly dangerous Nico was, how close he’d come to ripping through his skin and drinking him dry? Nico’s fingers trembled as he started to text.

Nico:  _ i’m sorry i freaked out _

He left it at that. He didn’t know what else to say. A few minutes later he got another text.

Will:  _ i’m sure it was hard on you. i’m sorry _

Nico:  _ you have no reason to be sorry _

Will:  _ i shouldn’t have put you in a position like that _

Nico:  _ it’s not as though you asked me to heal you _

Will:  _ i know. but still _

Nico didn’t know what else to say. He was definitely tiptoeing around the fact that he’d almost hurt Will, and neither of them dared to mention the word ‘blood.’ Nico sighed. As much as he didn’t want to scare Will off, he needed Will to understand the full gravity of the situation. Without that kind of understanding, Will wasn’t in a position to make decisions on his own. Nico began typing.

Nico:  _ i almost killed you. again. _

Will:  _ but you didn’t. again. _

Nico:  _ that hardly makes up for it _

There was a five minute wait. Nico stared at his phone. Will had definitely read his text as he could see the read receipt, and now he wasn’t responding.  _ Good _ , Nico thought,  _ maybe I finally scared some sense into him _ . And a part of him hurt, knowing that. Will seemed so perfect. It was Nico who was tainted. If Nico wasn’t a vampire, he could just enjoy a normal date with a normal guy, and not have to worry about losing control and hurting him. Will deserved someone who wasn’t a threat. He deserved someone he could feel safe with, who he could live a regular life with and go on regular dates with. Nico squeezed his eyes shut. Perhaps it really was for the best.

Then his phone buzzed. Nico didn’t want to look at the text. But then it  _ kept _ buzzing, and Nico realized it wasn’t a text at all, but a phone call. Nico opened his eyes and saw Will’s name on his screen. He answered, tentatively.

“Hello?” Nico asked.

“Hi Nico,” Will said. “I’m sorry for calling so late, but I wanted to have a conversation, and without hearing your voice, I don’t know if I’m getting the tone of your texts right in my head.”

“How are you reading them?” Nico asked.

A pause. “Kind of self-wallowing, to be honest.”

Nico huffed something of a laugh. “Then it sounds you’re on point.”

“I know…” Will started. “I know that I don’t know a lot about this vampire stuff, and I know we’ve sort of covered every subject in the universe except for the giant elephant in the room, but I think… I think maybe we should probably talk about it.”

Nico swore it felt his chest was going to implode. “I guess I have been avoiding it, haven’t I?”

He could hear Will chuckle under his breath from the other side of the phone. “Only slightly,” he said gently.

“Can we talk about it some other time?” Nico asked. “Honestly, I’m not feeling all that great right now. I won’t avoid the subject forever. I just need… time.”

“Okay,” Will agreed. “That’s fine. I understand.”

“Thank you, Will.”

“Goodnight, Nico.”

“Goodnight.”

Nico hung up his phone and stared at the screen. He could feel his heart swelling in his chest. He didn’t know what he could have possibly done to deserve Will’s patience and understanding. He didn’t know how or  _ if  _ he deserved Will. No, he definitely did not. And yet, he couldn’t help but feel the ghost of a smile that crossed his lips as he fell asleep.

  
  
  


-Will-

The following day, Will was at Cecil’s apartment with Lou Ellen. They’d ordered a pizza, half cheese and half cheese and pepperoni, and Cecil’s fridge was stocked with cheap beer. Tonight was their game night. They tried to have a game night at least once or twice a month, but it seemed to be getting harder and harder the older they got. Their schedules were busy between classes, homework, and work, but now that they were on break, they were able to make more time for each other.

“I’m happy you’ve finally joined us, Will,” Cecil said, grabbing himself a slice of pizza. “I was afraid you were starting to avoid us.”

“Sorry, I’ve just been busy with work and shadowing at the hospital,” Will lied, then added. “And last night I went on a date with Nico.”

“How did  _ that _ go?” Lou Ellen asked, suspiciously.

“Really well, actually.”

“Are you serious?” she pushed. “He didn’t end up being a total creep?”

Will thought about what happened in Nico’s car. That had definitely scared him, but other than that, everything was fine. Plus, they were able to talk about what happened. At least, sort of. So maybe for the sake of conversation, he could just pretend nothing happened at all.

“No, he was really great and really generous the whole time.”

“That’s a lot of ‘really’s,” Cecil added, his mouth full of pizza.

Will shrugged, sort of embarrassed to be talking about this.

“Where did you guys go? What did you talk about?” Lou Ellen asked.

“We went to The Lotus Hotel bar for a few bottles of wine,” Will started.

“Damn, dude. That place is expensive,” Cecil interrupted.

“I know. He paid for everything. I felt bad.”

“I don’t think you should feel bad,” Lou Ellen said. “He’s the one who stalked you to ask you for drinks.”

Will ignored her comment and cleared his throat.

“So, anyway,” Will continued. “We just talked about, well, everything. I don’t know, we really covered a lot of ground.”

“How old is he?” Lou Ellen asked.

_ Really old _ , Will thought, but instead he answered. “Our age.”

“What does he study? Does he go to school around here?”

“Actually, I didn’t ask.”

“You’re telling me, you talked about everything, and you didn’t even ask him where he goes to school or what he goes to school for?”

“I don’t know. It just didn’t come up. We talked about music and movies and TV and games, and that kind of stuff.”

“What about family and friends and stuff?”

“No, we didn’t really cover that.”

Lou Ellen couldn’t hide the disapproval from her face. “I don’t know, Will. He really just seems like a creep to me. He shouldn’t be avoiding topics about his personal life like that.”

_ Oh, if only she had any idea, _ Will thought. But Nico had every reason to avoid those subjects about his personal life because they probably all pertained to him being a vampire. That didn’t make him a creep for not wanting to discuss it. He had plenty to say, just nothing about that.

“Can you stop calling him a stalker and a creep please?” Will asked.

She frowned. “Sorry. I’ll stop. It’s just this whole situation is rubbing me the wrong way.”

“I gotta agree with Lou Ellen on this,” Cecil added. “He does seem… kinda weird.”

Will frowned. He wished he could get them to understand, but he also couldn’t provide them with the full picture. Even if he did, they’d probably just disapprove further.

“So what do you think, Will?” Lou Ellen asked, trying to be kinder. “Are you going to go on a second date with him?”

And Will thought about it, really thought about it. And he knew there was a part of him that wanted to see Nico again, despite what happened in the car. He wanted to get to know the other more. That, and they still needed to have their conversation.

“I think so, yeah,” Will admitted. “I’d like to see him again.”

Neither Lou Ellen nor Cecil fought him on that. Instead Lou Ellen said, “I just want you to be careful, okay?”

“I’ll do my best,” Will said. But he knew there was nothing about this situation that was careful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 Sorry for the late(r) post today, but I slept in. Kudos and comments are always appreciated :)


	11. Blood Bags

-Nico-

Nico spent the next couple of days texting Will. There were the good morning texts, the how are you texts, and the good night texts. But then there was everything in-between. The only thing they didn’t talk about was the giant elephant in the room, as Will had called it. And that was fine by Nico. He didn’t want to open up about himself all at once and completely scare Will off. He was just thankful that Will wasn’t pressing the subject.

It was starting to get late, and Nico rolled off his bed and went into his kitchen. His stomach felt tight. He hadn’t restocked his blood supply since he ran out the other night. And he was admittedly scared to. The last time he went on a blood run was what led to his capture. And aside from that, he was still trying to build his tolerance back up so he could regain some sense of self-control.

But he knew he would have to go soon. If he waited too long before restocking, he’d be too hungry to do it properly. He might even lose control completely and end up hurting someone. For now though, distracting himself with his conversations with Will, he was doing okay.

_ Tomorrow I’ll go _ , he thought to himself.

Yet he couldn’t stop himself from moving at a nervous pace throughout his apartment. Maybe he  _ should _ go tonight. Nico relented. As much as he didn’t want to, he knew he should probably go get more blood while he still had some control over himself, before things got too bad.

Nico walked back into his room and threw on a sweatshirt before adding on a jacket and his boots. He left his wallet and phone behind, having learned from his mistake the first time, grabbed his black bag, and headed out the door.

He stepped out onto the street, his heart racing as he thought about the blood bags. He made his way down the road, planning in his head where he was going to go next. He certainly wasn’t going to hit the same clinic as last time, which led to his capture. He’d have to go somewhere new. That made him nervous. He hated changing his routine. He hated the unknown.

He knew of one that wasn’t too much farther from where he was. It was a newer clinic, having opened only a few months ago, and Nico hadn’t had a chance to scope it out yet. But he figured tonight was as good a night as any.

As he approached the building, he could see all the lights were turned off. He assumed the doors would be locked, too. But if there was anything he’d learned over the last couple of decades, it was how to pick a lock. Nico hung back in the shadows across the street. He squinted to get a good look at the clinic. There didn’t seem to be any surveillance cameras installed near the front door, so that was good. And the street lights were far enough away that he could probably get in relatively unseen. Maybe this would be easier than he thought.

Nico looked around, taking in the quiet of the street, before deciding to cross. As he did so, he caught a shadow in the corner of his eye. He spun on his heel and looked around anxiously. Was someone out there? He didn’t see anything. But it was too late. The anxiety already started. His heart started to throb in his chest, and his palms clammed with sweat. Memories of his capture flashed before his eyes before he could stop them.

_ “Here’s your vampire,” a gravelly man’s voice said. _

_ Nico could hardly register the sound as he regained consciousness. He was lying on the floor somewhere, and his hands were tied behind his back. He pulled against the restraints but found he couldn’t break through. It was dark. _

_ “Looks like he’s waking up,” the voice said again. _

_ Nico felt the swift kick of a boot meet his ribs, and he hissed in pain. _

_ “How much do you want for him?” another voice spoke. A woman. _

_ “How much are you willing to pay?” _

_ “I’ll need proof he’s a vampire first.” _

_ Suddenly Nico was hauled off the ground, and someone grabbed a fistful of his hair, pulling his head back. A woman in a lab coat looked straight at him. Nico snarled. _

_ “His teeth look normal to me.” She frowned. _

_ “Watch this.” _

_ One of the men walked around to Nico’s front and pulled out a switchblade. Nico jerked back instinctively, and a wave of nausea washed over him as the effects of the tranquilizer still lingered in his system. The man raised the blade and cut along the palm of his own hand. The scent met Nico’s nose and he let something of a feral growl escape his throat. He hadn’t fed in too long. _

_ The man raised his bloodied palm to Nico’s face. Nico felt a throbbing ache as his canines sharpened to fangs. He clamped his mouth shut. But the man used his other hand to grip Nico’s jaw and pull his mouth open. _

_ The woman studied his fangs. He tried to pull his face away, but he could hardly move. _

_ “We’ll take him,” she said. “Step inside, and we’ll discuss the price.” _

Nico snapped back to reality and stumbled backwards. He couldn’t do this. Gods, he couldn’t get captured again. He turned on his heel and sprinted home. He couldn’t think. All he could feel was panic. Everything burned as if he’d been set on fire, and his fangs jutted out in defense. He was in total extreme fright, and he lost all control. He continued to push through, running as fast as he could, barely registering the buildings he passed or the streets he turned on. Somehow he made it back to his apartment and slammed the door closed behind him.

His fangs were still out, screaming pain in his mouth, and his head felt like a pressure cooker. He struggled to get out of his jacket and boots before stumbling into his bedroom. Nico crashed into his bed with one of the worst headaches of his life. Everything in his body  _ hurt _ , and there was nothing he could do to stop it. It’d been several days since he drank the last of the blood bags. Now he was paying for it.

Nico groaned as he kicked the covers off his bed. He was too hot, feeling feverish, and he could feel the sweat beading on his skin. It felt like something heavy was sitting on his chest, keeping him from breathing properly, and he could barely bring his eyes to see straight.

He knew it was only going to get worse before it got better. He’d gone through this before, after all. Nico reached for his phone to check the time and saw that he’d gotten a text from Will while he was out.

Will:  _ are you free tomorrow, by chance? _

Nico started typing his reply. He definitely could not leave his apartment any time soon. 

Nico:  _ it’s really not a good time, will. to be honest, i’m not feeling all the great _

Will:  _ what’s wrong? _

Nico didn’t really know how to answer that. He didn’t want to come out and say that he was going through blood withdrawal, and it felt as though his whole body was shutting down. His head pounded too hard to think of a reply. Instead he set his phone down. A few minutes later he heard it buzz again. Nico reached over to see what Will had said next.

Will:  _ i’m at the hospital now. i can bring you a blood bag tomorrow, if that’s what you need _

Nico stared at the screen, awestruck. Was Will truly offering to do that? Nico wondered if he should even accept. He felt like he’d already depended so much on Will, and he hated the idea of having to depend on him more. But the hunger he felt seemed to be overriding all of his senses. He couldn’t think straight enough to even be embarrassed anymore. And if Will was offering to bring him the one thing that could save him, then so be it. He wasn’t going to be too stubborn to accept.

Nico texted Will his address and set down his phone with a huff of relief. He closed his eyes, too feverish to keep them open any longer.

  
  
  


-Will-

It was getting late, and the hospital was rather quiet for a Friday night. The usual hustle and bustle of the daytime had slowed down, leaving the hospital relatively slow-paced. A few late-shift doctors and nurses strolled the otherwise empty hallways, and Will followed his father out of a patient’s room back toward his office where he could complete some paperwork.

Dr. Apollo carried himself with a mix of ease and confidence, his charts tucked under his arm, and he smiled and said hello to anyone he passed. Will walked behind him, his mind utterly unfocused on anything other than the text conversation he’d had with Nico about an hour ago.

Nico needed blood.

He hadn’t come right out and told Will that that was the problem, but when Will got his text saying he wasn’t feeling all that great, Will guessed what it probably was. From what Will had learned at the Department of Medical Advancement, Nico had healing powers, and he probably didn’t get sick, so that only left one thing that could lead the vampire to not feeling well. And that was a lack of the one thing he needed to survive: blood.

Will had no idea what he was doing when he’d texted Nico that he could bring him blood bags. But he knew the other was suffering, and he knew he was in a position to help, so he just offered. He was mildly surprised when Nico texted him his address. But now Will was left with a task, and he didn’t know how exactly comfortable he felt about completing it.

The two of them reached Dr. Apollo’s office at the end of the hall and went inside. His father set his charts down on his desk, sat down, and started flipping through some paperwork. Will stood there awkwardly for a moment before clearing his throat.

“Do you mind if I leave here early tonight?” Will asked. “Cecil and Lou Ellen are getting together and asked if I wanted to join them.”

The lie came easier than he expected. But Will and his father had drove here together, which meant Will needed to come up with a plan to leave early. It was the only way he could get space from his father in order to sneak in and steal the blood bags. He knew if he tried to come up with some other excuse, like going to the cafeteria, his father would offer to join him; and if he just said he was going to the bathroom, he might be gone for a suspiciously long amount of time. That left him with no other option than to ask to leave. At least, he hoped his father wouldn’t see him out.

His father looked up from his paperwork at Will. “You really should be getting in the shadowing hours, you know.”

“I know, and I will. But it’s a Friday night, and I was hoping not to spend it cooped up in here.”

His father smiled and shook his head. “Sometimes I forget what it’s like to be in your twenties. But okay, you can leave. Do you need money for a cab?”

“I’m all set. Thank you, though.”

Will lifted his bag off the floor and started out of his father’s office. His chest tightened. He felt guilty for lying. This was unlike him. He was a straight A pre-med student with a part-time job and a good relationship with his father, not this. Now he was becoming someone who snuck around and lied and kept secrets from his friends and father. And he knew he couldn’t blame this on Nico. He was making the decisions for himself, offering to help when he could. This was all very much his responsibility. He wondered if he was in too deep already.

He also wondered  _ why  _ he was doing all of this. Nico had survived  _ decades  _ without Wills help, it’s not like he all of a sudden  _ needed  _ Will, right? He would find a way on his own if he needed to. So why was Will turning his own life upside-down just to make the other’s life a little bit easier? It didn’t make sense.

Will continued down the hallway in thought. He wondered if he liked Nico. Well he did like Nico, he knew that, but was it something more? Did he have a crush? The idea of having a crush on a vampire seemed just as ridiculous as the fact that vampires existed to begin with. Vampires were dangerous. Nico was dangerous. And Will had faced that danger up close and personal more than once. Even Nico himself didn’t shy away from the fact that he was very much capable of killing Will. So why would Will have a crush on someone like that?

Will headed down the stairs toward the room where he knew the blood was stored. Now wasn’t the time to think or sort out his feelings. He had to focus on the task at hand. Will finally reached the room, and tentatively opened the door. He peeked inside. The lights were off and no one else seemed to be there. He crossed the room and headed toward the refrigerators, which gave a soft hum of electricity.

Will unzipped his bag, opened the refrigerator door and stared at the blood bags. There were so many of them, neatly organized by blood type. They seemed to look almost black in the light blue glow of the fridge. More guilt struck him at the idea of what he was doing. He was stealing blood. Blood that was donated. Blood that was very much needed. Blood that could save people’s lives. He assured himself that they would still being saving lives, if only indirectly. If Nico fed on the blood bags then he wouldn’t need to feed on humans. There was still some moral hope in that, right?

Will grabbed one of the blood bags and gently placed it into his own bag. Then he wondered how many he was actually supposed to take. From what he understood, Nico fed every day. But how much blood did he need to drink a day? It seemed he really didn’t know all that much about Nico at all, as they avoided talking about him being a vampire at all costs. Now it was coming back to bite him in the butt.

His next shadowing shift would be in a few more days, on Christmas Eve, so Will decided he’d pack for two bags of blood a day until he came back here. If he needed to get more then, he could. Or he could always tell Nico it was a one-time thing, and he needed to get his own blood moving forward. So Will packed a total of eight blood bags before closing the door to the refrigerator.

He zipped his own bag closed again, secured it over his shoulder, and headed out of the room. He felt nervous as he walked through the hospital hallway, with stolen blood in his bag. He needed to get back to his apartment quickly. As he walked, he took out his phone and called a cab to the hospital. Once outside, he waited in the snow until his driver arrived and he climbed inside.

The driver had nothing to say the whole drive home, and that was fine by Will. He was too nervous to talk right now anyways. He just counted down the minutes, anxiously tapping his foot until they finally arrived at his apartment. He was grateful to finally be back.

When Will got inside, the first thing he did was head toward his kitchen where he could unpack the blood bags into his fridge. He piled them up gently, one on top of the other, in two stacks. They looked so out of place sitting there, among his salads, yogurts, cheese, and deli meats. It made him feel like a criminal. And he supposed he was, in a way, and that feeling did not sit well with him. But it was too late now. Will sighed. He double checked the settings to make sure it was a cold enough temperature before closing the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 Depending on how much writing I get done today, I may post another one later, too. Kudos and comments are appreciated :)


	12. Withdrawal

-Nico-

Nico didn’t wake up the following day until his phone rang again. It was a call, but his vision was too fuzzy for him to read or process the name straight. He answered.

“Hello?” he asked, still half-asleep.

“Hi Nico, it’s Will.”

Nico managed to smile. “Hi, Will.”

“You don’t sound very good,” he commented. “But I’m here. Can you let me in?”

Nico thought he might die just trying to climb out of bed, but he knew he had to. He pushed himself up with a groan. His body was hot all over, and he could feel his hair clinging to his forehead and neck with sweat. Even his eyes felt bloodshot.

“I’ll be right there,” he mumbled into his phone before hanging up.

Nico rolled out of the bed, balancing his weight in his feet as he pushed himself up into a standing position. A wave of nausea and dizziness crossed over his head, and his vision was blurry as though he were looking at the world underwater. He crossed his room, his apartment, and eventually found his way out the door.

It took him awhile to get down all the stairs, feeling like he might lose his balance and fall at any moment, but he gripped the railing and somehow managed. Knowing that he was going to see Will somehow made this effort all okay. And Will had something he needed: blood. He could feel his teeth start to ache at the mere thought alone, but they didn’t sharpen yet.

He pushed open the front door, and a waft of cool air came rushing in. It felt good along the heat of his skin. Then he looked up at Will. He was blurry, but he seemed to be enraptured by sunlight, the sun bringing out the gold in his curls and the blue in his eyes. Nico gave a hint of a smile at the sight.

And when he saw the way Will’s eyebrows suddenly scrunched together followed by the deep frown etched into his face, Nico realized he probably definitely didn’t look all that good himself. And if he weren’t so desperate at this moment, he might have cared.

He held open the door, before Will took it in his own hand and let himself in. Nico noticed the backpack he wore over his shoulders. That must be where he was keeping the blood bag. And as much as Nico wanted to rip it off his shoulders and go digging for it right here in the hallway, he knew he needed to get to the safety and privacy of his own apartment first.

“Follow me,” Nico mumbled.

He turned around and started toward the stairs. He could sense Will following him wordlessly behind. He wondered if Will suddenly hated him for making him do this. He wondered if Will was disgusted seeing him like this.

“I’m sorry to put you through this,” Nico said.

And then suddenly both speaking and walking seemed to be too much, and Nico faltered just the smallest amount, tripping forward on the stairs. He caught himself with the railing before he fell and wobbled for a second.

“Woah,” he heard Will say.

Then he felt an arm around his waist, steadying him. Nico just wanted to sink into the weight, unable to carry himself any longer, but he forced himself to stay upright. For a sliver of a moment, he thought he’d let Will guide him up the stairs, but with Will being so close to him, touching him, he could practically feel the blood pulsing through him.

“Please let me go,” Nico strained to be polite, despite the fact that he really just wanted to snap. “I can sense your…”

His voice trailed off, not wanting to say the word aloud. But Will wasn’t clueless, and he got the hint, so he very quickly removed his arm. The two continued up the stairs until they reached the third floor. Nico led the way to his apartment, where he hadn’t even bothered locking the door.

Once inside, he made his way over to the couch where he sat down, completely exhausted. Will came in, too, locked the door behind them, and quickly swung his backpack over his shoulder before unzipping it. He pulled out a blood bag and offered it over to Nico wordlessly.

Nico took the bag and for a second, he thought he might rip it open right there in front of Will. But then he realized he didn’t want to scare Will anymore than he probably already had. He waited this long already, he could make it another thirty seconds. Nico stood up again, bag in hand, as he made his way over to the bathroom for some privacy.

Once inside, he locked the door behind him, opened the bag with his already sharpened fangs, and began drinking. It tasted so good. He started with a few quick chugs before relaxing and forcing himself to drink it slower before he ended up throwing it all up. He didn’t care that it was cool or that it wasn’t fresh. It was blood, and that was all that mattered.

His senses slowly began returning to him as he drank, and the daunting realization of embarrassment swept over him. His vision came into focus once more, the feverish heat slowly dissipated from his body, and the cloudiness in his head started to fade. Now he could think. Actually think. He finished up what was left of the blood bag before setting it down on the counter and looking at himself in the mirror.

To say he looked like a hot mess was putting it lightly. His hair was greasy with sweat, and his skin was damp and pale, and his dark eyes looked even darker with the bags underneath them. He looked like he could break apart at any minute… and Will had seen him like this? By the gods, he hoped he didn’t completely scare Will off this time.

Nico wiped the remaining blood off his face before unlocking the bathroom door and peeking out. Will was still there, diligently sitting on the couch, looking around aimlessly. And when he’d heard the bathroom door open, he snapped his attention over and raised a concerned brow.

“I know this is embarrassing,” Nico started, “but do you mind if I—if I take a shower?”

Will’s cheeks suddenly turned red. “Are you asking for help?”

“No!” Nico blurted out, feeling his own blush creep up on his cheeks. “I am definitely not. I feel a lot better now. I just also feel really gross, and I’d like to talk to you. Just not like this.”

“Oh okay.” Will definitely looked embarrassed. “I understand. Yeah, I’ll wait… out here, that is.”

“Okay, I’ll just be a minute.”

Nico closed the door again and walked over to the shower. He turned on the faucet and undressed while he waited for the water temperature to heat up. When it was ready, he slipped in and stood beneath the water. He relished in its comfort before squeezing a glob of shampoo in his hand and getting to work.

As promised, Nico didn’t take very long. He washed his hair and scrubbed down his body without wasting more time than he needed to. He dried his hair with a towel before wrapping it around his waist. Then he moved to the sink where he brushed his teeth, combed his hair, and slapped on some deodorant to make himself look and smell as presentable as possible.

He looked over to his pile of crumpled clothes, and realized they were way too sweaty and dirty to put back on. He’d have to go to his room. Nico opened the bathroom door again and looked out at Will.

“I just need to go to my room and get changed really quick,” he said, stepping out. “I won’t be much longer, I promise.”

Will simply nodded, and Nico could feel the other’s eyes on him as he crossed the room. He wondered what Will was thinking. If he thought less of him for being in the state he was just a few minutes ago. If he was looking at him now and thinking  _ monster _ . The thought alone nearly made him sick. But Will was still here, and that was a good sign, right?

Once in his room, Nico changed into a pair of boxers, black skinny jeans, and a black crew neck sweatshirt. He ruffled up his hair a bit, figured that would be as good as it was going to get for now, and walked back out into the living room. He was relieved to see Will still sitting there, patiently.

“I’m really sorry you had to see me like that,” Nico confessed.

He awkwardly walked over and sat across from Will in his armchair.

“I feel bad that it came to that,” Will said. “I would have come sooner if I knew how sick you were.”

Nico swallowed. “It’s not your responsibility.”

“But still, had I known, I would have helped sooner.”

“I guess I owe you an explanation.”

Will hesitated. “Only if you want to talk about it.”

“I do, if only because I don’t want you to think I always get like that,” Nico started. “So let me explain…”

He cleared his throat and looked around the room, everywhere but Will’s eyes. He was afraid to look at the other’s blue eyes and see what he might be thinking.

“For the last decade or so, I’ve been really good with blood control,” Nico said, looking down at his hands. “I only needed one bag every week or two. It wasn’t perfect, and it was far from ideal, but it was all I needed. But then when I was… when they captured me, they started feeding me  _ every day _ . And my body just adjusted to it. Demanded it, even. And then when they started starving me… It just—the whole thing sent my body out of whack and into a frenzy. I’m trying hard to get it under control again, but it’s just that. Hard. So I have days like today, where my body begins to reject itself, and I get feverish and cloudy. But it passes eventually, I just need to get through it.”

Nico looked up at Will, finally, waiting for him to say something. But where he expected to see judgement, hate, and disgust, he only saw sadness. And he didn’t know if that was worse. Being pitied. But he supposed it wasn’t because Will seemed to genuinely care about what he had to say. He seemed to care about  _ him _ .

“I’m sorry if I… disrupted your process,” Will said.

Nico’s eyes grew wide. “No, I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. I really am grateful you showed up. I don’t know if I could take it any longer, and I ran out of my stash a few days ago, so I didn’t even know where I was going to get more or what I was going to do.”

“Okay,” Will tried at a smile. “Well I brought more than just the one. I picked up eight at the hospital. Do you want me to put them in your fridge?”

“Eight?” Nico couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s really more than enough. If I was my usual self, that would last me like three months.” Wow. Of all the humans Nico could have crossed paths with, he was sure lucky it was Will. “If you could. Please.”

Will lifted his backpack off the ground and walked over to the kitchen. Nico watched as he opened the door and started to pack some of the blood bags in. Other than that, his fridge was completely empty. He wondered how odd that might look to Will. After he finished unpacking his bag, Will closed the refrigerator door and walked back into the living room, where he sat on the couch and rejoined Nico.

“I’m guessing you probably have questions?” Nico asked.

“Only about a hundred,” Will tried at a joke. “But we don’t have to talk about all of this if you’re not ready yet.”

“It’s fine. I want to be honest with you. You’ve already done so much to help me. The least I can do is answer a few questions.”

“Okay,” Will started. He shifted his gaze over Nico in thought.

Nico felt uncomfortable under his stare, and he shifted in his seat to indicate so. He didn’t know what kind of questions Will was thinking of, and it made him nervous to get too personal too soon. He didn’t want to talk about how he turned, the people he’d lost, the recent events of his capture. They all still felt too raw, like talking about them would break him open at any moment. But then, Will opened his mouth to speak, and Nico braced himself for the worst.

“Are there like… flavors?” Will asked. “Like O negative, B positive, A negative?”

Nico couldn’t suppress his laugh. “Of all the things, that was not what I was expecting.” He grinned, relieved by Will’s question. “Yes, there are  _ flavors _ , as you put it, but honestly, it’s all essentially the same. One is not better than another.”

Will looked embarrassed, but he couldn’t help but offer a small laugh, too. “I was just wondering if there was a specific type I should bring next time.”

_ Next time _ ? Nico raised a brow. “You’re not my errand boy, you know. You don’t need to run around doing all the dirty work.”

“I just thought it might be easier for me to get it since I shadow at the hospital sometimes. Where do you normally go?”

“Blood drives, bloodwork offices, nothing too exciting. Wherever I can, really.”

“I see,” Will hummed. “And what about animal blood?”

“There’s sort of a hierarchy of blood?” Nico tried to explain. “Animal blood is definitely at the bottom. It provides enough nutrition to keep me alive, but not really enough to give me any sort of strength or real health. And on top of that, it really does taste awful.”

“What’s next on the hierarchy?”

“Blood bags. They contain all the nutrition vampires need, and definitely provide more strength. But once again, they don’t taste all that great. Definitely better than animal blood, though.”

“And then it’s humans?” Will asked, a little hesitantly.

Nico nodded.

“Do you… do you often feed on people?”

Nico understood where this was going. “Not often. Like I sort of explained earlier, I’ve been on blood bags for about a decade now. I kind of have a rule.”

“What’s that?”

“I don’t drink blood from a human without their consent.”

“I can imagine it’s hard to get consent.”

“Very. Which is why it’s few and far between,” Nico explained. Then he cleared his throat. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about the day you helped me escape.”

“What about it?”

“Well, like I said, my captors had all my feedings mixed up. I wouldn’t have drank your blood like that if I were thinking clearly.”

“You had my consent,” Will looked confused. “I offered you my wrist.”

“But it shouldn’t have hurt,” Nico said. “There’s a way to… to drink blood without hurting someone. But I was so hungry, and I wasn’t thinking clearly, and I was just drinking without realizing that I was hurting you. And for that, I really am sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Will reassured him. “I understand.”

“It’s really not okay,” Nico mumbled. “You’ve come to my rescue time and time again, and it seems all I can do is say ‘thank you’ or ‘sorry,’ but really all I’ve ever done is hurt you and put you out of your way.”

“It’s not like that,” Will said. “Really.”

“Then what’s it like?”

“When I saw… when I saw what they were doing to you, I knew I needed to do something. And a little pain in my wrist was a small price to pay. If I’m in a position to help you, why shouldn’t I?”

“So you just feel obligated?” Nico asked, confused.

“No—I mean, well maybe at first, but now… there’s more to it than that.”

“What do you mean?”

Will looked at him with eyes that said  _ please don’t make me say it.  _ But Nico needed to know what Will meant because he didn’t understand Will’s motives at all. All Nico felt like from the very beginning was a burden.

“How is there more to it?” Nico pressed.

“I’m still trying to figure it out,” Will said. Then he changed the subject. “I still have a bunch more vampire questions, if you don’t mind my asking.”

“Shoot,” Nico said.

“Sunlight?”

Nico laughed. So they were  _ those  _ kind of questions.

“Doesn’t bother me.”

“Do you sleep during the day?”

“Only when I’m exhausted, but no, I normally sleep at night.”

“Do you need to be invited into someone’s house to enter?”

“No, but I wouldn’t anyway on principle.”

Will thought it over. “Garlic?”

“Delicious,” Nico chuckled.

“Holy symbols?”

“Religion isn’t for me, but it doesn’t hurt me if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Mirrors?”

“I can see my reflection.”

“What about photographs?”

“I hate them, but yeah, I will show up.”

“Stake through the heart?”

Nico grinned. “Haven’t tried it, but does not sound like a good time.”

Will looked embarrassed to ask his next question. “What about turning into a bat?”

Nico laughed at that. “I wish.”

“Any other supernatural… powers?”

Nico thought it over. “Well when I feed properly, I’m really fast and stronger than any human, I guess.”

“What about immortality?”

“It appears so.” Nico shrugged.

“What about fertility?” 

Nico’s eyes grew wide. “Well, I’ve only been with uh… guys… so I really can’t speak for myself… but I don’t think vampires are fertile.”

Will blushed a bit, but then his questions started to change. They became more personal.

“Have you ever turned someone before?” Will asked.

“No.”

“Have you ever,” Will paused and looked away for a moment before returning his eyes to Nico, “killed someone?”

“Never.”

Will seemed to be relieved at that. And Nico was glad it was the truth. From the very beginning, he’d always done his best to maintain control and keep from hurting anyone.

Then Will opened his mouth to ask his next question, his voice a little more hesitant. “Are you… are you using me? For my blood?”

Nico was immediately struck with a pain of guilt.

“That had been…. part of my original intention… when I went to the diner,” Nico confessed. He could see the look of hurt in Will’s eyes, so he tried his best to explain. “But once I was sitting there, talking with you, I couldn’t bring myself to ask. That’s why I asked you for drinks, instead.”

“Did you ask me for drinks because you were trying to work up the courage to ask me for blood, or was it because you wanted to go on a date with me?” Will asked. There was no accusation in his voice, but there was a slight hint of sorrow.

“I—I don’t know,” Nico tried to be transparent. “I know I wanted to say thank you for what you did to save me, but honestly, I can’t tell anymore when or if I have other intentions. I’m really… really not myself lately.”

Will nodded his understanding. “Do you like me?” he asked, point blank.

“I’m still trying to figure that out. You’re this person who has come to my aid when I was feeling my worst twice now. And I think I still need to untangle you in my head from being someone who… provides blood. I have to get more control over myself again before I can start clearing up my thoughts and feelings.”

Will went quiet.

“Are you mad at me?” Nico asked.

Will shook his head. “No, I’m only processing. If I’m being honest, I’m still trying to figure out how I feel, too. Half the time I’m drawn to you, and then the other half of the time, I’m really scared.”

“As you should be. I haven’t been myself. I’m sorry.”

“I want to get to know you, beyond all of this blood stuff. Because when we were at the bar the other night, everything felt so good and so normal.”

Nico stood up from his chair and crossed the space, so he was standing in front of Will, who still sat on the couch. 

“Can I try something that might clear both of our heads a little?” Nico asked. “Can I kiss you?”

  
  
  


-Will-

Will realized his mouth was hanging open and promptly shut it. He looked at Nico with wide eyes, and Nico looked back at him with soft darkness. Will swallowed and nodded, unable to find the words.

Nico leaned forward and cupped Will’s face in his hands. Will closed his eyes as Nico pressed their lips together. He stopped for a moment, feeling nothing but Nico’s lips on his own, and it shot a tingling feeling through his body. And then Nico kissed him deeply, and Will parted his lips ever so slightly. It felt like all of eternity was trapped in one moment.

And then, too soon, Nico pulled away and dropped his hands. He looked at Will, his eyes moving across his face as he searched for words. But Will didn’t have any, and his thoughts seemed to be scrambled. So he ignored his thoughts altogether, grabbed Nico by his waist, and pulled him into his lap. Nico complied immediately, straddling Will on the couch, and pushing their lips together once more. Will pulled him in closer, and Nico ran his hand through Will’s hair, tangling his fingers in his golden curls.

They kissed frantically. As if each other’s lips were the air they needed to breathe. Nico ran his tongue over Will’s bottom lip, and Will let Nico in. Their tongues danced along one another as their lips moved along each other. Will gripped onto Nico tighter, and Nico followed with a slow roll of his hips. A slight moan escaped Will’s mouth, and he could feel Nico’s smile against his lips. Nico wrapped his other arm around Will’s neck, pulling him closer to him, and suddenly Will felt the desperate need to eliminate all of the space between their bodies. He ran his hands up Nico’s shirt, feeling the smooth olive-toned skin of his back, and Nico rolled forward again.

Nico tugged on his hair a little harshly, but Will didn’t mind as the feeling sent a burning sensation through his body. It felt  _ good _ . He bit slightly down on Nico’s bottom lip, and the feel of Will’s teeth against his skin made Nico pant in turn. Will pressed a hard kiss against Nico’s lips before pulling away and leaving a trail of kisses along his jawline. Will moved to his neck, where he started kissing profusely and gave a small nibble at his skin. Nico craned his neck back, allowing Will to work on him. Will gave a gentle suck and could feel the heat of Nico’s skin burning beneath his lips. He withdrew and pressed his lips back on Nico’s, and the two opened their mouths to find each other’s tongues once more. And then Will felt something sharp brush against his bottom lip, and he knew it was Nico’s canines, and part of him felt fear but another part of him didn’t care.

But Nico pulled away immediately, gasping for air. And with his mouth slightly agape, Will could see the sharpness of his fangs. But in the blink of an eye, they were gone and returned to normal. Will took the moment to catch his breath, too. They stared at each other a long while, their gazes locked and searching. Will’s thoughts swirled in his head as he scrambled for words. He did not mean to take it that far. One moment it was just a light kiss, and the next they’d been all over each other, tongues and hands exploring in a frantic desperation.

Nico was the first to move. He slowly lifted himself off Will’s lap and cleared his throat, turning his dark eyes away awkwardly.

“I’m sorry about my… uh,” Nico started, “... fangs.”

And Will didn’t know what to say to that. He didn’t know how to tell Nico that even though he’d felt a sliver of fear, there was an even stronger, pressing part of him that thought it was, well, kind of hot. Seeing Nico come totally undone on his lap and under his hands to the point where he couldn’t control his most primal self, definitely kind of turned Will on. And that thought alone made him turn all sorts of red in embarrassment. What was wrong with him? Did he have absolutely no instincts at all? Nico was a predator, and Will could very much be his prey, should the other decide. It should  _ scare  _ Will, not make him hot and bothered.

“I really don’t mind,” Will said, trying to reassure him.

“Well, you should,” Nico sighed and sat down on the couch beside Will. “I can’t even fucking kiss you without thinking of your blood.”

_ Oh _ , Will thought. “Was that what you were thinking about the whole time?”

“No. I wasn’t thinking at all. I was just enjoying. And I think that’s what the problem was. My instincts kicked in.”

That made Will smile. He was relieved to hear that Nico had enjoyed their kiss just as much as he had. But he also felt bad for pushing Nico over the edge like that.

“I’m sorry,” Will apologized. “I took it too far.”

Nico looked at him as if to say,  _ what are  _ you  _ apologizing for?  _ So, Will continued.

“You just wanted to kiss, and I accidentally turned it into a full-blown make out session.”

Nico chuckled under his breath. “You kind of did.”

“Maybe I can blame that on  _ my  _ instincts?” Will offered.

And that made Nico laugh. “Okay, yes. We can blame it on that.” After a moment he added. “So what do you think?”

Will hesitated before responding. “I don’t really know. I’m thinking a million things, but my mind is also completely blank.”

“Me, too.” Nico sat back on the couch. “Maybe we should call it a day for now?”

Will nodded and sat up from the couch.

“Probably,” he said. He grabbed his backpack off the ground and made his way over to the door where he slipped on his boots and tugged his jacket on. He unlocked the door and pulled it open, but before he stepped out, he said, “I’m sorry if I just added to the confusion.”

“I just have a lot to think about,” Nico said. “I’ll text you later?”

“Okay.”

Will closed the door behind him and leaned up against it. His heart was racing about a mile a minute, and his thoughts were moving even after. What had he just done? They were supposed to kiss to see how they felt, and instead Will pulled him onto his lap and kissed him like it was the first and last time he’d ever kiss someone in his life. He wasn’t thinking anything other than how badly he wanted to kiss Nico.

Will pushed himself up off the door and started down the hallway and the stairs out of the apartment complex. He knew whatever he was doing was probably dangerous. What human made out with a vampire? Just an hour ago, he’d seen Nico sick and deadly looking, desperate for blood, and barely able to keep himself together. Nico was dangerous, and he’d said so as much himself. He’d tried warning Will that even though he hadn’t killed him, he very much was capable, and Will just kept pushing until Nico’s fangs sharpened. If Nico lacked any more self control, he could have bit down. And despite his short height and slender but toned figure, he definitely could have overpowered Will in that moment. He was completely under Nico’s control.

So why didn’t he care?

Will stepped outside onto the snowy sidewalk and started toward his own apartment, which wasn’t very far from here. He decided he would take the time to walk, to clear his head, as he usually did when things became too much. He definitely had a lot of thinking to do, and he couldn’t exactly open up to his friends or his father about the situation. He would have to make a decision on his own about where he wanted this to go. And, well, Nico needed to make that decision for himself, too. Will just hoped Nico didn’t push him away after this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 And yes! You read that right. THEY KISSED. FINALLY. Kudos and comments are always appreciated :) Happy reading!


	13. Hanukkah

-Nico-

Nico sat back on his couch after Will left, cursing his fangs for reacting the way they did. Why couldn’t he just kiss Will without his vampire instincts kicking in? When it was just a simple kiss, he was totally fine, but then Will had pulled him onto his lap and all his inhibitions came loose. As they made out, he knew it was what he wanted, and although he hadn’t been thinking much, he’d just had a blood bag, so he had some strength over his control. But then Will bit his lip and started sucking on his neck, and Nico wanted to do that, too. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized he couldn’t. He couldn’t tease Will with gentle bites, and he couldn’t kiss his neck. Then all of a sudden, his thoughts all revolved around blood, and he couldn’t contain himself anymore. His fangs just sharpened on their own. The second they did, he was able to pull himself back.

He’d gotten lucky. Again. But he didn’t know how many more times he’d be able to get lucky. He’d gotten lucky when he was in captivity and he was able to pull himself off Will’s wrist; he’d gotten lucky when he went to heal Will’s wrist a few days later and was able to refrain from biting down; he’d gotten lucky when Will wrapped his arm around Nico on the stairs, and he was able to shrug him off; and now he’d gotten lucky  _ again  _ that he was able to stop kissing him before he accidentally bit him. Nico counted in his head. This was four times now, and he definitely shouldn’t be pushing his luck any further. All it would take was one slip up, one mistake, and he could seriously hurt Will. Or worse.

Nico leaned forward and buried his head in his hands with a long sigh. It seemed every interaction he had with Will led to them being in a somewhat dangerous situation. Nico knew he needed to get more of a grip on himself before he moved forward with Will. He couldn’t risk it any longer. But there was a selfish part of him that also didn’t want to cut Will off either. And it wasn’t just the part of him that saw Will as an opportunity to get blood. No, he actually  _ liked  _ Will. Or, at least, he thought it did.

It was so hard to tell the difference between his feelings and his instincts lately. All he knew was that he liked when Will was around. But was it really fair to be in Will’s life when all he did was put the boy in danger? Maybe with some time, once he was back on his steady diet of blood bags once every week or two, and he had more control over himself, he could make a real decision. But that could take months of re-training his body, and he wasn’t sure how long Will was willing to wait for him.

Nico cursed under his breath and stood up. He desperately needed to sort things out. He just wished there was someone he might be able to turn to for advice. He didn’t have much contact with other vampires. Being too wrapped up in the vampire world proved to be problematic for him in the past. It made relying on blood bags and working on his self-control much more difficult. That, and he couldn’t stand their scrutiny. Most felt they were superior to humans and above blood bags, and that didn’t sit right with Nico.

With his thoughts turning to humans, Nico realized he hadn’t heard from Jason in a while. Although he couldn’t exactly open up to Jason about everything going on, the other might have at least some insight into dating that Nico didn’t. He did date Piper for a while. And even though things didn’t work out between them, he still had more experience in the dating world than Nico did.

Nico took out his phone and sent a quick text.

Nico:  _ hey, you busy? _

He waited a few minutes, but Jason didn’t respond. He must’ve been busy then. Nico frowned. It was in that moment he suddenly realized how alone he really was. He knew he needed to branch out more, that he couldn’t just live an eternity by himself, but forming friendships when he was always on the move every five years was  _ hard. _ And where did that even leave him and Will? How could he even think about dating a human? Will would grow up, grow old, and eventually he would pass; and Nico would always stay the same. How could they have a life together where Nico needed to move constantly? He couldn’t drag Will around like that.

“Oh gods, Nico,” he muttered to himself. “You kissed the guy once and are already thinking about having a life together?”

_ But it was an amazing kiss,  _ he thought. He groaned, annoyed with himself. He’d only seen Will four times, and he already felt way in over his head.

  
  
  


-Will-

Pop songs played from the speaker in the corner of the room, but it was loud enough to fill Cecil’s entire apartment. The apartment kinda smelled of oil and onions from the dozens of latkes Cecil and Lou Ellen fried up earlier, so the windows were cracked, letting a cool breeze sweep through the room. It wasn’t too bothersome, however, as the apartment was quickly filling up with people, so it kept everyone from getting too hot.

Will sat on the couch beside Lou Ellen as she told him all about how she and Cecil worked away in the kitchen since eleven in the morning. According to her, Cecil took the role of the foreman, while she did most of the work. It all paid off in the end though because the latkes were delicious, and everyone at the party seemed to be enjoying them.

“Happy Hanukkah!” Cecil bellowed as he walked into the living room with a beer in each hand. He walked over to Will and held up one of his beers. “Cheers!”

Will tapped his glass bottle against Cecil’s and they each took a swig of their drinks. Will didn’t have much left of his drink anyway, so he decided to finish it in a couple of deep gulps before standing up to go to the kitchen and grab another.

“Can you grab me another while you’re in there?” Cecil asked.

“You don’t even have enough hands to hold three beers,” Will pointed out.

“Don’t underestimate me,” he said. Then he tipped his head back and started chugging.

Okay, so Cecil was drunk. This happened every year, so it wasn’t much of a surprise to anyone. Will just laughed under his breath and got them each another drink. He settled back down on the couch next to Lou Ellen. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he checked it to see that he got a text from Nico.

Nico:  _ thanks again for earlier _

Will:  _ no problem. _

He started to type “ _ anytime”  _ but promptly deleted it. He was not willing to commit himself to blood runs for Nico  _ anytime _ .

Nico:  _ you’re an amazing kisser, by the way _

Will:  _ i thought i maybe went a little overboard _

Nico:  _ instincts. remember? _

Will was in the middle of typing his reply when he sensed Lou Ellen leaning in to look over his shoulder.

“What are you smiling about?” she asked.

Will was quick to swipe out of the text messages. “Nothing.”

She raised a suspicious brow.

“So how are things going with that cree—,” she stopped herself. “I’m sorry. What was his name again?”

“Nico,” Will answered.

“So how are things going with  _ Nico _ ,” she corrected.

Will shrugged. “I went to his apartment earlier today.”

“Ooooh!” Cecil raised a brow. “How did that go?”

The blush was quickly to rise to Will’s cheeks. “Well, we kissed.”

Lou Ellen looked at him dumbfounded, and Cecil raised his drink to that.

“Let’s invite him over,” Cecil said, devilishly.

“What? I barely know him,” Will said.

“You know him enough to swap spit, so I think that means I get to meet him, right?”

“Cecil….”

“You’re such an idiot sometimes,” Lou Ellen commented, taking a sip of her drink.

But Cecil set his beers down on the coffee table, leaned forward and snatched Will’s phone out of his hand. Will stood up abruptly to take it back, but by the time he was on his feet, Cecil was already dialing. Will felt the blood drain from his face. He was going to kill Cecil. Cecil plugged one of his ears with his finger and pressed the phone up to his other ear. He gave Will a smirk and started walking away with his phone. Will followed after him, nervous and angry.

“No, this is Cecil, Will’s friend.” Cecil said as he walked.

“Cecil, give me my phone back,” Will held out his hand.

But the other boy just hushed him and continued walking toward his bedroom. Will followed him inside, where he could get a better listen to the conversation without the noise of the party.

“Actually I called you because I’m having a Hanukkah party right now and wanted to invite you.”

Will was sure his heart plummeted straight to his stomach. He waited a few moments and Cecil just gave him a shrug.

“What did he say?” Will asked.

“He hasn’t said anything yet,” Cecil whispered. “I think he’s thinking about it. Or he just hung up.”

Cecil pulled the phone away from his face to look at the call. It was still ongoing. “Okay, he didn’t hang up,” he whispered back to Will.

“Hello? Nico, are you still there?” Cecil said into the phone.

Waiting for Nico to respond felt like the longest seconds of Will’s life. He was so embarrassed by all of this, and Cecil was ruining whatever chance he  _ might  _ have with Nico by scaring him off like this. Will reached out for his phone, but Cecil wiggled away from him.

“Yeah, okay,” Cecil finally spoke back to Nico. “I’ll tell Will to text you the address.”

Cecil hung up the call, turned around, and handed the phone back to Will.

“I’m going to kill you, you know,” Will grumbled, seizing his phone.

“You can’t kill me. It’s my party!” Cecil shouted. He pushed past Will quickly and bolted out of the room.

Will didn’t know what to make of any of this. He couldn’t believe Nico had actually agreed to come, either. He sat down on Cecil’s bed and went back to his text messages with Nico.

Will:  _ you don’t actually have to come. i’m sorry cecil is so obnoxious when he’s drunk _

Nico:  _ do you not want me to come? _

Will:  _ it’s not like that. i just don’t want you to feel pressured _

Nico:  _ i don’t. but i don’t have anything else going on, either. i could stop by for a bit _

Will:  _ are you feeling better from this morning? _

There was a minute before Nico replied.

Nico:  _ you sound like you don’t want me to come _

Will:  _ i just don’t want my friends to annoy you _

Nico:  _ it’s okay. i’ll just text you tomorrow? _

Will felt guilty. It wasn’t that he wanted to uninvite Nico. He just didn’t want Nico to feel like he had to. And if Will were being honest with himself, he’d rather Nico not come. As much as he wanted to see him, they were still getting to know each other, and he didn’t want things to be awkward between them with Nico suddenly showing up at a party where he didn’t know anyone. That, and there was a small part of him that feared Nico wasn’t in complete control yet. What if something happened that made Nico lose it? What if he hurt someone?

Then again, was it really Will’s decision to make? If Nico felt he was in control, then maybe Will should just trust that he was. And by uninviting Nico, would he potentially make things even more awkward between them than if he just came? Will sighed and decided to call Nico instead of text him to clear things up.

“Is this Will or Cecil?” Nico answered.

“Will.”

“That’s a relief.”

Will chuckled.

“Please tell me your friend didn’t read our text conversation before he called me,” Nico said.

“No, I think he’s too drunk to read right now.”

It was Nico’s turn to laugh.

“Look,” Will tried to explain. “It’s not that I don’t want you to come. I mean, I do want to see you again, it’s just… after this morning… I just want to make sure you can… handle it?”

Will didn’t know how else to poise the question. He wasn’t about to just say  _ I just want to make sure you’re not going to try to drink any of my friends blood?  _

“I understand,” Nico said from the other line. But Will could swear he heard a sliver of disappointment in his voice.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to upset you.”

“No, you’re probably right,” Nico reassured him. “I should work on things first.”

“I really do want to see you again, though.”

“Me, too.”

Will hesitated. And maybe it was the beer talking, but he asked, “Maybe after the party I can come over?”

“Have you been drinking?” Nico asked.

“A bit.”

“I can come pick you up when it’s over.”

“Okay, yeah. I’ll text you when I’m ready. But if it’s too late, please don’t feel like you have to come get me.”

“I might have accidentally slept most of the day. I’ll be up.”

“Okay, then I’ll text you later.”

“Goodbye.”

“Bye.”

Their call ended, and Will hung up. He felt better knowing he’d see Nico later. At least that meant he wasn’t mad at him. He was grateful for Nico’s understanding of everything. He’d just wished Cecil didn’t put him in this position to begin with. He walked out of Cecil’s room and rejoined the party. He looked around for his friend, ready to give him the lecture of a lifetime, when he saw Cecil playing a dreidel drinking game with a few of his friends. Will couldn’t help but smile. Maybe he’d just save the lecture for another time.

Will sauntered over and joined in on the game. From across the coffee table, Lou Ellen looked at him curiously.

“Cecil said that Nico is coming?”

“No. He decided not to.”

“Whaaa?” Cecil drawled. “I was sure I had him convinced. I want to meet him!”

“Maybe another time. If I let you live that long after that stunt you pulled.”

Cecil just grinned. “If you think you can take me, Solace.”

He turned his attention back toward the game and spun the dreidel.

“ _ Gimel _ !” he cheered, and took three chugs of his drink.

They continued to play, and Will was quick to pick up on the rules.  _ Nun _ meant drink nothing,  _ Gimel _ meant take three chugs,  _ Hey _ meant one chug, and  _ Shin _ was to choose someone else to take one chug. It was a game with no ending, definitely meant to just get as hammered as possible in a short amount of time. Before long, half the party was drunk, and the music volume just seemed to be getting louder and louder. Even Lou Ellen joined in on the fun, but she was more reserved with the chugs she took.

Everyone was enjoying themselves, and it seemed that every time Cecil rolled a  _ Shin _ , he picked Will to drink. Yeah, Will was definitely going to end him sooner than later. By the time he stood up to head to the bathroom, he realized he was more drunk than he initially thought. The world seemed to tilt from the left to the right, and he took a moment to steady himself before continuing.

The rest of the night proceeded with fun. When they finished playing dreidel, everyone rushed over to stuff their faces with latkes, having worked up an appetite from all of their drinking. And once the food was gone, they turned Cecil’s kitchen table into a beer pong game and continued on that way. Will played alongside Lou Ellen, and Cecil played with one of his friends. As Cecil was getting a little too drunk to have any kind of accuracy to his throw, Will and Lou Ellen quickly won the game and kept playing. They played other teams over and over until it was Will’s turn to realize he’d lost most of his coordination, and lost the game for them.

He and Lou Ellen returned to the living room where the music continued to play. Will sat down on the couch, feeling dizzy.

“Are you okay?” Lou Ellen asked.

He looked at her, wide-eyed. “I think I’m drunk.”

She just laughed. “I think you are, too. Do you need me to call you a cab?”

“No,” Will shook his head. “Nico is going to come get me.”

Lou Ellen’s smile faded ever so slightly. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, you’re kinda wasted, and he’s probably sober.”

“It’s fiiiine,” Will slurred. “I really want to see him.”

“Okay,” she gave up with a shrug. “Whatever you say, Will.”

He took out his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he found Nico’s name. He typed out a message to let Nico know he was ready to be picked up followed by Cecil’s address. He hit send and sat back on the couch, looking up at the ceiling. It was starting to spin.

“I’m going to go get you some water while you wait,” Lou Ellen decided standing up.

Will nodded and closed his eyes, trying to shut out the spins. He found that made it much, much worse, and opened them again, sitting up. He waited patiently for Lou Ellen to return with a bottle of water. He drank it greedily, a small part of him knowing he should probably sober up as much as possible to prevent a hangover tomorrow. Although, that was likely going to happen at this rate regardless.

As he sat there waiting and drinking yet another water bottle that Lou Ellen brought him, his ears caught a certain word, and he tuned into the music around him.

“I only showed up to tell you

_ Everyone at this party’s a vampire _

_ This ain’t red wine _

_ We’re all food for the bloodsuckers _

_ Movin’ up under the moonlight _

_ Like a vampire” _

Will scoffed. Leave it to Cecil to add a song about vampires to his playlist. Will scoffed. Cecil definitely had somewhat of an obsession with this whole tabloid thing. If only he knew. Nico wasn’t like that. He was different. His thoughts started to drift around Nico, and the rational part of his brain told him that Lou Ellen might be right. That he shouldn’t be going to Nico’s right now. But a stronger, more drunken part, wanted to see Nico. All of the dangers could be forgotten.

It wasn’t long until he got a phone call from Nico. He answered.

“Hi Nico.”

“Hey Will. I’m here,” Nico said. “Assuming you typed in the address correctly, that is. Your drunk texts are kind of hard to read.”

Will beamed. “I’ll come down now.”

“I’ll see you soon then.”

Will hung up the phone, all smiles. He said his goodbyes to Lou Ellen, Cecil, and everyone else at the party before putting on his jacket and boots. He slipped out of the apartment, where he could still hear the music from the hallway, and headed downstairs to meet Nico.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 If you're wondering what was on Cecil's Hanukkah Party Playlist, check out the song "Vampire" by Dominic Flick (it's sooo good). Playlist songs should also include "Mirrors" and "Death of Me" both by PVRIS (both recommended by AO3 user @vcid). Kudos and comments always appreciated :)
> 
> A/N: *clears throat and starts shouting in Mom Voice* DRINK RESPONSIBLY AND ONLY EVER GO HOME WITH SOMEONE YOU TRUST OR BY YOURSELF- ESPECIALLY IF YOU'VE BEEN DRINKING.


	14. Wish

-Nico-

To say that Will Solace was drunk was an understatement. At the sight of him, Nico was just grateful the other managed to text him the correct address. As he walked to the car, he had a bit of a crookedness to his step, struggling to keep in a straight line. Nico got out of the car and opened the door for him to get in.

“Nico!” Will said, wrapped his arms around him.

“H-hi Will,” Nico stood there awkwardly before giving him a one-armed hug back. “Are you okay?”

“I’m great. Thanks.” He withdrew his arms and got into the car.

Nico gently closed the door and walked around to the otherside, where he climbed in on the driver’s side. He put the car into drive, let his foot off the brakes, and cleared his throat.

“Will, do you want me to just take you home?” he asked.

“No, I want to go your,” he hiccuped, “your place.”

Nico felt somewhat pleased that drunk Will wanted to spend time with him, but he couldn’t help but feel a little guilty about it. “Are you sure? You seem kind of… out of it.”

“I’m sure,” Will said with certainty in his voice. “Can you slow down a bit though? I feel kind of sick.”

“I’m barely moving.”

“Oh. Well, okay can you go a bit faster then? I don’t want to be in the car very long.”

“Sure thing, Will.”

Nico continued driving down the street at a slower pace, despite Will’s request. The last thing he wanted was to whip around and have Will throwing up in his car. Not that he was a car snob by any means, but he also really didn’t want to have to clean that up. He maneuvered the streets cautiously, making sure never to brake too hard or accelerate too fast until they reached his apartment. By the time they got there, he’d realized Will had dozed off.

“Hey, Will,” he nudged the other softly.

Will stirred awake and looked around confused.

“We’re here,” Nico told him.

“Awesome,” Will stretched and stifled a yawn.

They both got out of the car, and Nico helped Will walk in a straight line to the apartment and up the stairs. They somehow managed to eventually get inside. No sooner had Will taken off his jacket and boots than he looked to Nico with a face full of regret.

“I think i’m going to throw up,” he admitted.

Nico led him to the bathroom where Will emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet. Nico felt bad, unsure of what to do. He went to the kitchen and grabbed a glass, filling it with tap water from the sink. He wished he had food or something to offer Will to help with the nausea, but all he had were blood bags. And that was far from Will’s diet. Nico made a mental note to go to the store in the morning and get water bottles, tylenol, and carbs.

He rejoined Will in the bathroom. Will had finished throwing up. He flushed the toilet and moved to the sink where he swished water around in his mouth and spit it out to clear out the taste. Nico offered him the glass of water he’d poured.

“Do you want to lay down?” Nico asked.

“Yeah,” Will confessed, taking a sip of the water.

“Okay, follow me.”

Nico led Will to his bedroom. Will crawled into bed and got under the covers. Nico turned on his heel to head out when he felt a pull at his hand. He turned around to see Will looking at him with big, round blue eyes.

“Where are you going?” Will asked.

“I’m going to go sleep on the couch.”

“No,” Will drawled. “Come lay with me.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“You’re really drunk, Will.”

Will grinned. “I promise I won’t puke on you.”

Nico sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. What was he possibly going to do with Will? But he could see the hope in Will’s eyes, so he relented.

“Fine.”

“Okay.” Will scooted over to the other side of the bed, giving Nico room to get in. Nico lifted the covers and got underneath. Now he  _ really _ didn’t know what to do. Should he face Will? Should he turn his back on him? Should he just lay on his back or his stomach? As the questions crossed his mind, Will reached out and pulled him in closer. He pressed his lips to his, and Nico could taste the beer on his breath. For a moment, Nico let it happen, enjoying the feeling of Will’s warm lips on his. Then reality snapped in, and Nico pulled back.

“That’s not a good idea.”

“Why not?” Will asked. “I want to kiss you again.”

Nico didn’t know how many times he would have to explain this. Will did not seem to understand that he was very drunk and Nico was very sober, and it was a mix that just wouldn’t mesh.

“I’ll kiss you a hundred times tomorrow,” Nico said. “I promise.”

“But I want to kiss you  _ now _ .”

“I can tell,” Nico chuckled, “but tomorrow will be so much better.”

“Are you mad at me for being drunk?” Will asked.

“Of course not. I just wish I was drunk right along with you,” Nico teased.

Will’s brows furrowed. “I’m sorry I sort of uninvited you from the party.”

“It’s okay. I understand why you did.”

“I just wish you weren’t a vampire,” Will mumbled.

Suddenly the smile fell from Nico’s face. Something inside of him seemed to break. “Me, too.”

So that was how Will felt then. The honest truth. There was no chance at anything with Will because Will could never accept him for who he was. Nico felt like he was going to be sick.

After a moment, Will said, “I’ll find a cure.”

Nico huffed. “If only it were that easy.”

“I am going to be a doctor, you know.”

“I know.”

Will hummed and closed his eyes. He reached his arm out and laid it across Nico’s waist. Nico thought to move for a moment before deciding this was okay. There wasn’t any hurt in cuddling after all. Will looked so peaceful with his eyes closed. His breathing came soft and easy. Being this close to him, Nico could feel the warmth in his body, seeming to resonate around him. Despite all of this, he couldn’t help but feel the ache in his chest. His heart felt broken. After a long while, Nico leaned in and gave Will a gentle kiss on his forehead.

“Goodnight, Will.”

But Will was already asleep.

  
  
  


-Will-

Will woke up with a throbbing headache. All of his joints seemed to ache, and his throat felt raw and scratchy. He groaned and opened his eyes. It took him a few blinks to register his surroundings. Then he realized this wasn’t his room, and he had no idea where he was. His heart pounded as he racked his brain to figure it out. Then it dawned on him. He was at Nico’s.

“Shit.”

Will looked around, not seeing Nico anywhere in the room. The bed was empty aside from himself. He saw a water bottle on the bedside table with a bottle of tylenol next to it with a sticky note attached. He squinted to read it:  _ for when you wake up _ . And wow, was Nico’s handwriting messy. But there was no time to think about that, he had to figure out exactly what happened last night.

The last thing he remembered was getting into Nico’s car. He fell asleep on the drive. But after that? Nothing. He closed his eyes and desperately tried to recall the events from the night before, but nothing came to mind. He really blacked out.

“Shit,” he cursed again.

And then a sinking feeling overcame him. He lifted his hand to his neck and checked his throat. He didn’t feel anything. It didn’t  _ seem  _ like Nico drank his blood. Then again, Nico did have healing powers, so the vampire very well could have. He could’ve done whatever he wanted and there was no way Will would know. Will just wished he remembered.

He reached over and grabbed the bottle of tylenol. He opened it and popped two pills into his mouth before chasing them down with the water bottle. He then rolled out of Nico’s bed and walked out into the living room. He saw Nico sleeping on the couch, buried under a throw blanket, with his back turned toward him. Will hesitantly walked over, unsure of what to do or say. He wondered if he should wake Nico up or try and make a clean getaway.

He felt embarrassed and kind of nervous, so he decided to leave. He started toward the door and just put on his boots when the other stirred under the blank. Will paused. After a moment, Nico flipped around, pushed himself up to a sitting position, and looked at Will.

“You’re leaving?” he asked.

“Ah—I was going to. I didn’t want to wake you.”

“It’s fine. I’m awake.”

“Are you sure? You can go back to sleep.”

“No, I’m already up. It doesn’t matter.”

“Okay,” Will said hesitantly. He stepped out of his boots.

Will stood there awkwardly for a moment before heading back over to Nico. Nico slid over on the couch, giving Will room to sit down.

“How are you feeling?” Nico asked.

“Like I was hit by a truck.”

Nico laughed. “Did you take the tylenol I set out for you?”

“Yeah, I did. Thanks.”

“I hope it kicks in soon then. Do you need more water?”

“I’m okay for now.” Will cleared his throat. He forced himself to look at Nico. “Would you mind filling me in on what happened last night?”

Nico scrunched his brow. “How much do you remember?”

“I remember falling asleep in your car. After that, it’s sort of blank.”

“Oh,” Nico said, looking embarrassed.

And suddenly Will felt even more nervous. What did Nico do to make him look embarrassed? Did he really drink Will’s blood last night? A knot formed in Will’s throat.

“You sort of threw up,” Nico said. “And then you went to bed.”

“That’s all?” Will asked.

“That’s the gist of it, yeah.”

“Then why do you—why do you look embarrassed?” Will forced himself to ask. “Did something happen?”

Nico shifted uncomfortably. “You sort of… kissed me?”

And then Will suddenly realized that Nico’s embarrassment had nothing to do with him being a vampire or drinking Will’s blood. No, he was embarrassed because of something  _ Will  _ did. Will suddenly felt really guilty that he assumed the worst of the other. He should’ve given him the benefit of the doubt.

“Oh no,” Will said.

“Don’t worry,” Nico tried to reassure him. “It was only one short kiss, and I stopped you. Nothing else happened. I laid with you until you fell asleep, and then I went to sleep on the couch.”

“I’m sorry,” Will frowned. He was sorry for drunkenly kissing Nico, and he was sorry for assuming the worst of him. But he couldn’t bring himself to say that. He didn’t want to make Nico feel bad or anger him by confessing what he’d been thinking.

“It’s okay. Really.”

“Did I do anything else stupid?” Will asked.

Nico dropped his gaze. “Well you did sort of say something to me last night.”

Will felt the heat rise to his cheeks. He hoped he didn’t start talking about his feelings. He didn’t know what his drunk self was feeling or what he would have even said. What if he said something really embarrassing like he loved Nico? He probably made a damn fool of himself.  _ Oh gods, I am never drinking again, _ Will scorned himself. 

“What did I say?” Will asked, unsure if he even wanted to know.

Nico frowned. “You said you wish I weren’t a vampire.”

Oh.

_ Oh. _

And now it was a thousand times worse than what he thought. If he’d confessed that he loved Nico, he could have just apologized and brushed it off as being drunk and emotional. But no. Instead he said something that could only be interpreted as a drunken truth. He had no filter, and he’d spoken his mind unabashedly. And the worst part was, he’d  _ hurt _ Nico. He’d basically told him he didn’t like who he was. He’d told him he didn’t like something about him that he couldn’t change. Something that already caused him enough sorrow and suffering, and Will just rubbed it in his face. He said something he couldn’t take back.

Will froze, and his whole body seemed to tighten.

“I’m really sorry,” he started.

“Don’t be.” Nico finally looked up at him with big, dark eyes. “You were just being honest.”

“I shouldn’t have said that.”

“You also said you’d find a cure for me,” Nico said. Will could tell he was trying to lighten the mood and relieve him of some of his guilt.

Will groaned.

“Will?” Nico said softly. He reached out and out his hand on Will’s thigh. “I know I’m a vampire, and I know that’s… a lot to deal with. I don’t blame you for what you said. I don’t blame you if you don’t like me. You’ve already done so much for me. You don’t have to stick around anymore.”

He removed his hand and gave Will an assured look. And despite the kindness in his voice, Will could see it in his eyes that it was breaking him. Just yesterday the two couldn’t figure out how they felt about each other, but now it seemed they did know. It just didn’t make anything any easier.

“Nico, I like you. I do,” Will told him. “It’s just… this is complicated.”

“I know.”

“It’s not easy.”

“I know.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

“Neither do I.”

Will stared at him for a long moment. And what  _ could  _ they do? Nico was a vampire, and he was human. What kind of future could they possibly have? Maybe it would be best to cut things off now, before they got in too deep.  _ But gods _ , why was Will even thinking about a future if he didn’t want to be with him?

Will tried at a smile. “I think I’m going to go home, sleep off this hangover, and think things through. I’ll text you later?”

Nico nodded slightly. “That sounds like a good idea.”

“Okay,” Will stood up. “Maybe you should try and catch up on some sleep, too. I can’t imagine you slept well on the couch last night.”

“I will,” Nico said, he tried to smile, too, but his voice was soft and sad.

“Alright then,” Will said because he didn’t know what else to say. This whole thing was driving him crazy.

He made his way back over to the door, leaving Nico on the couch. Once he had everything on and was ready to go, he said goodbye, opened the door, and left. Will started down the stairs, each step feeling heavier and more dreadful than the last. Once outside, he hailed a cab and took it back to his apartment.

Once inside, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. His heart jumped to his throat, and he hoped it was Nico, but he was disappointed to see it was just a text from Cecil.

Cecil:  _ oh man dude i am so sorry for calling nico last night, i was so drunk _

Will changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt before crawling into bed. He texted Cecil back.

Will:  _ you’re an idiot _

Cecil:  _ i knooooow. please forgive me _

Will:  _ i’m not mad anymore. i just thought you should know you’re an idiot _

Cecil: _the biggest…_ _but how did things go last night? lou told me nico picked you up?_

Will:  _ yeah, he did. i stayed over at his place _

Cecil:  _ oh shit! what happened _

Will:  _ i think i might have ruined everything _

Cecil:  _ what did you do? _

Will sighed and set his phone down. What  _ did  _ he do? Why did he say something like that to Nico? And how could he possibly explain any of this to Cecil? He knew he couldn’t, but damn, he really wished he had someone to talk to about all of this. He wished he had someone to give him advice. He picked up his phone again and texted back.

Will:  _ i just said something really stupid. i don’t really want to talk about it  _

Cecil:  _ how stupid? like did you tell him you loved him or something? _

Will:  _ i wish it was that. then i could just blame it on being drunk _

Cecil:  _ damn, sounds like it must’ve been bad then _

Will:  _ that’s putting it lightly _

Cecil:  _ so what are you going to do about it? _

Will:  _ for now? sleep. _

Cecil:  _ ah, the best solution to any problem _

Cecil:  _ well, i’ll let you go then. but if you want to talk about it when you wake up, you can _

Will:  _ thanks, you big idiot  _

Will stuck his phone on his charger and rolled onto his back to stare up at the ceiling. He had a lot to think about. And the tylenol was finally starting to work, so he had plenty of clearness to think. But he just wanted to close his eyes and go back to sleep. He hoped when he woke up, all of his problems would disappear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 Oh Will... You know what they say: drunk words are honest thoughts. Kudos and comments are always appreciated :)


	15. Decisions

-Nico-

A handful of days passed, and Nico never heard back from Will. He decided against texting him first for two reasons. The first being that he didn’t want to pressure Will into making any sort of decision without taking the time he needed to think it through. The second was because he felt like he already knew the answer. The truth was, Will wasn’t interested. If he was, he probably would have reached out by now. There were just things about their situation that couldn’t be fixed.

Feeling a pit grow in his stomach, Nico walked over to his fridge. He knew better than to drink for comfort, but he really and truly felt like shit, and it seemed to be the only thing that made him feel better. He told himself it’d been a few days since he last drank anyways, so there wasn’t any harm in having some blood now. It would take time for him to build up his tolerance anyways. He couldn’t just go back to drinking once a week or two as if it were nothing. Those scientists really messed him up.

Nico pulled a blood bag out of the fridge. He warmed it up in the microwave until it was the perfect drinking temperature. From there, he snipped the bag open and poured the blood into a tall glass. He took a sip.

_ I just wish you weren’t a vampire _ , Will’s words echoed through his head. Nico suddenly felt nauseous again. He didn’t want this anymore. He didn’t want to live like this. And if he were being honest with himself, it hardly felt like living so much as it did surviving. He didn’t work, spending most of his days locked in his apartment, he barely had any contact with other vampires, and he didn’t have very many friends. What was he even doing? What was the purpose of all of this? Would he have to live like this for an eternity?

Nico took another sip of the blood. Then another. Then another. And then he started chugging it, anxiety sweeping through him, because he didn’t know what else to do. This was who he was. He was a  _ fucking vampire.  _ And he hated himself for it.

He wished Will had never helped him escape. He wished Will would have just left him in the hands of the scientists, where he could endure what he needed to endure for however long he could, and then he could just die. Then it could all be over. All of his worries and loneliness and struggle would end. Just like that.

_ No, _ he thought. That wasn’t true. He was glad Will saved him. Glad he met Will. In just the short amount of time he knew Will, he’d already started to fall for him. He just wished things were different. He wished that there wasn’t this inevitable end to what they could have had. Fuck, it was over before it even really started. How did he end up like this?

Nico wished he had someone to talk to about this. But any vampire would think him to be a fool for having a crush on a human, and aside from Will, no human even knew he was a vampire. His thoughts turned to Jason. Even if Jason couldn’t provide him with any advice, he could at least distract Nico from his problems.

He realized he’d never heard back from Jason since he texted him last. It was odd. They used to text relatively frequently and hung out at least once a week, but it’d been over a week by now, and he still hadn’t heard anything. Although he wasn’t much for double-texting, it had been about a week, so he decided to try reaching Jason again.

Nico:  _ you okay? i haven’t heard from you in a while _

No sooner had he sent the text then a notification popped up underneath:

Message Not Delivered

That was weird. Nico tried to resend the text, but he reached the same error. He figured he would just try calling Jason instead. Nico hit the call button on his contact and held the phone up to his ear.

“The caller you are trying to reach is unavailable—”

Now Nico was beginning to feel nervous. Jason never turned his phone off. He practically lived on that thing. It didn’t make sense that his call would go straight to voicemail. Nico walked over to his apartment window and looked out. He searched the street. He saw Jason’s car parked there, lightly dusted in snow. So Jason was home at least. That was good.

Nico decided he’d try Jason’s door. Even if Jason was busy right now, that was fine. He just wanted to make sure Jason was okay. It was unusual for them to go this long without talking. Nico suddenly felt like a bad friend. What if Jason was going through something right now, and Nico was so wrapped up in his own life and problems that he failed to check in?

He put on his sneakers and headed downstairs to Jason’s apartment. Once there, he knocked on the door. He was met by silence. Nico felt himself becoming more anxious. What if something was wrong? What if something happened to Jason? He waited a moment before knocking again. He could hear the muffled sound of footsteps from the other side approaching the door. He relaxed a little.

A few moments passed, but the door never opened. Nico looked through the peephole, knowing he wouldn’t see anything, but trying nonetheless.

“Jason? Are you in there?” Nico said loudly. “It’s Nico.”

Suddenly Nico heard the sound of the door chain lock sliding. But the door didn’t open.  _ Did Jason… did Jason just lock me out _ ? Nico pounded on the door a bit louder.

“Is everything okay?” Nico asked. “Is this about Piper?”

When Jason didn’t respond, Nico tried again.

“Jason, I know you’re in there! Open up!” Nico said, his voice a small rise of both panic and anger.

“Leave me alone,” Jason’s voice came through from the other side.

“I just want to know if you’re okay, Jay. I haven’t heard from you in over a week.”

“Go away, Nico.”

“What’s wrong? Why don’t you want to talk to me?”

Nico heard the click of the lock, and then the door opened. The chain lock was still in place, and Jason stared at him through the crack of the door.

“ _ I know _ ,” Jason said.

“What?” Nico asked, confused.

“I know you’re a vampire.”

Nico’s chest tightened. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Nico. I know. They told me.”

“Who told you?” Nico pressed. “Can you just let me in so we can talk about this?”

“It makes so much sense. I’m so mad at myself for not seeing it sooner. You never eat, you hardly talk about your life or your past, you  _ freaked out _ when I cut my thumb open a few weeks ago—”

“Jason, I—”

“You were the vampire that got captured, right? That’s why you disappeared all of those weeks? That’s what they told me.”

“ _ Who _ told you that?”

“I don’t know,” Jason finally answered. “Some scientists or something. They said they tracked me using your old phone. The one that you lied and said you lost in Italy, but they said they confiscated it off of you.”

“You have to let me explain.”

“No. I don’t. You’re a  _ fucking vampire _ , Nico.”

“That doesn’t  _ mean  _ anything, Jason. I’m still me.”

“You’re a liar, and you abused my trust.”

“I didn’t know how to tell you. I didn’t want you to find out like this.”

“They asked me if I was still in contact with you, if I knew where you were,” Jason’s voice started to rise. “Do you have any fucking idea what kind of position that put me in? They questioned me for  _ hours _ , like  _ I  _ was a criminal.”

Fear gripped Nico’s throat. “Please tell me you didn’t—“

“No. I didn’t say shit. I lied and told them I hadn’t heard from you since you were captured and had no idea where you even lived.”

Nico felt relief at that. At least Jason didn’t turn him over. “Okay. Okay, thank you. So just give me a chance to explain.”

“No,” Jason said firmly, clenching his teeth. “That’s the last favor I’m doing for you. I don’t want anything to do with you anymore. And I swear on my life Nico, if I find out you’ve done anything,  _ anything _ , to hurt anyone, I won’t hesitate to tell them where you are and everything I know.”

Jason slammed the door closed, and Nico heard the click of a lock. He stood there, staring at the door, his whole body shaking. His legs felt weak, his chest felt tight, and his eyes burned threateningly with tears. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what to make of any of this. Jason knew, and now he  _ hated  _ him.

Then it occurred to him. If the scientists had located Jason, they very well could have contacted or even located anyone else he’d been in contact with. He headed back up to his apartment, frantically racking his brain for anyone else he’d been in contact with. His palms started to sweat, and a knot formed in his throat. He couldn’t think clearly. There was really only Jason… and Hazel.

_ Hazel _ . She was another vampire, and he always considered her to be like a little sister to him. They hadn’t been in much contact recently, but they did check up on each other sometimes. He just hoped the scientists weren’t able to track  _ her _ . If they did, he’d never forgive himself.

Once inside his apartment, Nico dialed for Hazel. He waited, every moment feeling longer than the last, as the phone continued to ring.  _ No. No, no, no, no, no. This could not be happening.  _ Nico was about to hang up, when suddenly the ringing stopped, and a voice spoke from the other line.

“Hello?” Hazel asked, hesitantly.

‘Hazel, it’s Nico,” he explained. Though he was relieved to hear her voice, there was still lingering panic in his own tone.

“Oh gods, Nico,” she exclaimed. “It’s so good to hear your voice. Are you okay? Where are you? I read about what happened online. I thought you were captured.”

Nico took a moment to breathe. “I was, but then I escaped. It’s a long story. But more importantly, I need to find out if  _ you’re  _ okay. Has anyone contacted you? They’re looking for me.”

“No, I haven’t heard anything. Honestly, when I read about what happened online, Iknew it had to be you. I didn’t want to risk anything, so I left the country and moved back to Greece.”

Okay, so Hazel was smart. That was good.

“But can you slow down a bit?” she continued. “Explain to me what happened. From the beginning.”

Nico swallowed a gulp of air and started explaining. He told Hazel about how he’d gone to a bloodwork clinic to steal blood bags, about how there were bounty hunters, and how they tranquilized him. He briefed over his time being imprisoned, not really wanting to go over the details. It was hard enough writing it all to Hades and having to relive it in his sleep. He didn’t want to go through it again now, too. He told her about Will and how he escaped. He skipped over everything happening with Will and went on to tell her just what happened with Jason. Hazel listened patiently, humming in understanding as he told her everything. When he finished, there was a long moment of silence between the two, as if Hazel were trying to figure out what to say.

“Nico…” she started, hesitantly. “I’ve been telling you those blood bags are a bad idea.”

Nico sighed. “It’s no more dangerous than going after humans, Hazel.”

“But look where it’s led you! I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Nico didn’t know how to respond to that, but before he had the chance to say anything additional or defend himself, Hazel continued.

“I think you should come to Greece for a while,” she said. “It’s not safe for you there anymore.”

“I know I probably should, but…” Nico trailed off. What  _ was  _ keeping him here? Aside from the fact that he hated the idea of feeling as though he was being forced out of his home. That he was on the run. Then there was Will. And he supposed there was no hope with Will either. “I just have a few things I need to take care of here first.”

“Like what?” she persisted. “What’s so important that you’re willing to risk being found?”

Nico debated whether or not to tell Hazel about it. He knew what she would say. There was no good that could come from having a crush on a human. Humans were their blood source, and that was it. But he also really needed someone to talk to about it right now. Jason was out of the question, and he suddenly felt so alone.

“I met someone,” Nico started, unsure of how to really explain.

“Oh?”

“A human.”

“ _ Oh. _ ”

“Hazel…. I know that tone.”

Hazel huffed. “Okay, I give in. Tell me about him.”

And so Nico did. He explained about Will, and how he’d saved him. He went into detail about how he’d gone to Will’s work and how he asked him on a date. He relayed the conversations of the date to her and how everything had just gone so perfectly until he went to heal Will’s wrist and fucked up. But then Will forgave him. And not only that, but he’d shown up to Nico’s apartment with blood bags and they kissed. He told her about the Hanukkah party and picking will up drunk, and what was said and how things have been since. When he finished telling Hazel everything, he let out a deep sigh.

“So what do you think?” he asked.

Hazel hummed, thinking it over. “Well, it  _ sounds _ like he likes you, at least, to some extent. But it’s obvious he has reservations about you being a vampire.”

“What should I do?”

“You can be honest, for starters. Because it sounds like from what you’ve told me, that you haven’t been very clear about how you feel. I mean, you told him you didn’t know if you could separate him from being someone who just provided blood, and I’ll be honest Nico, if I was a human and a vampire said that to me, I would be scared, too.”

“I’m such an idiot.”

“Only a little,” she said, teasingly. “But it’s not all on you. He needs to sort out how he’s feeling, too. But in order to do that, he’s going to need some type of reassurance that he’s not going to be your next meal, you know?”

“That makes sense.”

“And to do  _ that _ , you’re really going to need to get a grip on this whole blood thing. It’s not natural to survive off of blood bags. You’re going to lose control eventually.”

“I can’t just date one human and drink from another. And I’m definitely not going to be taking sips from Will.”

“Why not? He already offered you his blood once.”

“I think that was a one time thing.”

“Nico, you make everything so complicated. Just talk to the guy, okay?”

“Okay. Fine. I will.”

“Good. And come visit me when you’ve got things sorted out. I miss you, and I'm worried about you.”

“I’ll do my best,” Nico said.

The two said their goodbyes and hung up after that. Nico felt a little better knowing that Hazel was okay and safe, and being able to actually talk to someone about the whole Will situation didn’t hurt either. He guessed he did bear some of this responsibility. He wondered if he should reach out to Will sooner rather than later.

  
  
  


-Will-

Will knew he was avoiding the inevitable. He would need to talk to Nico eventually. Well, he supposed he didn’t  _ need  _ to, but he knew it was also the right thing to do. Things were starting to get messy. He’d gone to Nico’s apartment, drunk, and said probably the worst thing he could possibly say. It was his fault they weren’t speaking right now afterall. Even though he’d already apologized, he felt like it wasn’t enough. The problem was, there was truth in what he’d said to Nico. He  _ did _ wish the other weren’t a vampire. That would make things so much more normal. He’d date the boy without any hesitation.

And now he was stuck. Nico being a vampire was nothing that could change. And was that alone enough to keep them apart? It was the only thing stopping Will to begin with. Everything else about Nico was perfect. Not only was he probably the most handsome person that Will ever laid eyes on, but he was kind and interesting. He was honest and funny and sarcastic, and always seemed to know the right thing to say or do. Well, at least when it came to anything that wasn’t blood related. But then again, Nico drank blood bags, right? So it wasn’t as if he wasn’t doing his best with the cards he’d been dealt.

It seemed no matter how much Will thought about it, he always ended up thinking in circles. He wasn’t getting anywhere. And if he were being honest with himself, these last few days not seeing or talking to Nico at all had been  _ hard _ . Despite everything, he couldn’t shake himself of this crush. And he knew that was exactly what it was. A crush.

“Will, are you zoning out again?” Connor suddenly asked, interrupting his train of thought.

Will looked up and remembered where he was. He was at the diner, sipping on coffee in the kitchen. It was a relatively slow night, only two days before Christmas, and his shift was almost coming to an end.

“Sorry, Connor,” Will said, setting his mug of coffee down. “Did you say something?”

“Yeah, I told you your table is ready to cash out.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll take care of it.”

“You know, it’s really unlike you to keep zoning out like this. Usually you’re really on top of things. Is everything okay?”

Will smiled. “It’s really unlike  _ you  _ to act so caring. Who are you and what have you done with Connor?”

Connor laughed. “Maybe I’m just trying to push you to do your job, so we can close up and get out of here.”

“That sounds more like you.”

Will grabbed his checkbook out of his apron and headed over to his table. He was quick to apologize for the delay and handed over the check. Luckily, the customers were all smiles and didn’t seem to mind the wait too long. The last thing he wanted to deal with right now were irritated customers. They handed him a card, which he took, and said he’d be right back.

As he cashed his table out at the register in the back, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He decided he’d get to it in a few minutes once he finished taking care of his table. He waited for the receipt to print and took it over to his table. He thanked them for coming, hoped the food was good, and wished them a pleasant night and happy holidays.

Will returned to the kitchen, where he’d give his last table time to sign their receipt and head out. He pulled his phone out while he waited.

Nico:  _ hey, do you want to talk? _

Will thought his heart was going to go into cardiac arrest right then and there. Even though he’d already had days to think everything through about what he felt and how he wanted to move forward, he couldn’t make a decision. How was he supposed to talk to Nico like this? They’d just be right back where they started. But he didn’t want to leave Nico on read, and even though he had no idea what he was going to say, he  _ did  _ want to see Nico again. Maybe that would clear things up. Or maybe it would make things much, much worse. But either way, he knew a conversation needed to happen. He couldn’t continue living in this state of suspension.

Will:  _ i’m finishing up at the diner right now. i need to shower afterwards, but then i can come over _

Nico:  _ that’s fine. just text me when you’re on the way then _

Will:  _ okay _

He tucked his phone back into his pocket. By the time he’d finished his conversation, his last table was already gone. He walked over to collect the receipt and the tip they’d left him. Connor and he finished up at the restaurant shortly thereafter. Connor joked around as he wiped everything down, and Will did his best to keep up with his energy, but his thoughts kept turning to what was going to happen tonight. It didn’t take them much longer to finish, lock up, and head out. They said goodbye, and Will started back in the direction to his apartment.

As he walked, he realized how much colder it was getting out. He’d probably need to start taking cabs more. He drew his hood up and shoved his hands deep into his pockets, bracing himself against the cold. In about fifteen minutes, he finally reached his apartment, where he took out his keys, and let himself in through the front door.

He connected his phone to his speaker and played music while he stripped down and got into the shower. The water felt warm on his skin, and he took a longer shower than usual, reluctant to get out and do what he needed to do next. But the water eventually started running cold, and he turned it off and stepped out. A few minutes later he was dressed in a pair of jeans and a red sweatshirt, called a cab, and texted Nico that he was leaving.

The cab drive to Nico’s was short. They didn’t live too far from each other. Honestly, Will probably could have walked, and part of him wished he did, because it seemed like he arrived all too soon. Already, he could feel the nervousness about everything creeping up on him. He paid for the ride, got out of the cab, and texted Nico that he was here. He waited on the front step impatiently, and shivering from the cold with his hair still damp.

It didn’t take Nico very long to answer the door and let Will inside.

“Hey,” Nico said, somewhat awkwardly.

“Hi Nico.”

They continued up the stairs in silence, and the atmosphere around them grew increasingly uncomfortable. By the time they were in Nico’s apartment, it felt as though Will could cut through the tension with a knife. Nico walked over to the kitchen.

“Do you want a drink?” he asked.

Will thought it over. He didn’t have any plans to get drunk tonight, especially not after what happened last time, but a little alcohol in his system might help him relax a bit.

“Sure,” Will answered.

“Wine? Beer? Or something stronger?”

“What do you have?”

“Cognac.”

“I’ve never had that before,” Will confessed.

“Do you want to try it?”

“Sure.”

“It’s delicious. I’ll pour you some, and if you don’t like it, I can get you something else.”

Nico pulled a bottle out of the cabinet and poured them each a short glass. Will went to the living room and sat down on the couch as Nico brought their drinks over. He handed Will a glass and gave a smile that wasn’t quite happy.

“So,” Nico started.

“So….” Will continued.

And then neither of them knew what to say. They both took a sip of their drinks. It was a rich flavor, dry, but with a smooth texture that Will could only describe as velvet. It really wasn’t bad. What was there to say other than what’s already been said anyways? Will opened his mouth, unsure of the words that were going to even come out, when Nico cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably.

“I’m sorry if I didn’t give you enough time to think things through,” he started. “I don’t want to come off as pushy, and I understand if you still need more time, but I have a few things I need to say.”

“Okay.”

“First, I wanted to apologize about what I said the other day. About not knowing whether or not I just saw you as a blood source. That’s not true. I do see you for you, and now, being back on the blood bags and having a little bit more control of everything, I’m able to think more clearly.”

Nico paused, giving Will a chance to say something. But Will didn’t even know  _ what _ to say, so he just took another sip of his drink.

Nico continued. “And then I wanted to tell you that even if you still haven’t sorted out how you feel or what you’re thinking, I have. And to be honest, I do like you. I like you a lot. And I know it sounds stupid because we hardly know each other, but for some reason when I’m around you, I know I can trust you and talk to you. And you make me feel… you make me feel so normal. And if you don’t feel the same, I get it. I do. And maybe you already decided how you feel, and that’s why you haven’t contacted me.... And if you hate me, I under—”

“I don’t hate you,” Will interrupted. Then suddenly aware that he interrupted, he added, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to cut you off.”

“No, it’s okay. I started to ramble.”

“I like you, too, Nico,” Will said.

“I sense a ‘but’ coming.”

“ _ But _ ,” Will continued, “that doesn’t mean I know what to do about any of this. There’s a part of me that wants to be with you, that wants to make things work and just let whatever happens happen, but then there’s this part of me that’s completely afraid of what  _ will _ happen.”

“Are you afraid of me?”

“No,” Will answered. “Well, yes. I mean, sort of? I don’t know.”

“I wouldn’t hurt you.”

Will inhaled. As much as he didn’t want to be having this conversation, he knew he needed to. “I know you wouldn’t  _ want _ to hurt me. But we don’t know that for sure. You’ve said yourself twice now that you could’ve killed me.”

“And you reminded me that I didn’t,” Nico said. “And I’m better now than I was before.”

“I’m just all over the place, you know?” Will said, more to himself than the other. “I mean when we kissed the other day, it was the best kiss of my life. It’s what I wanted, and it’s what I knew I wanted. And even with your fangs coming out, I didn’t  _ care _ . At least, not at the time. When it was happened, all I could think was ‘This is kind of hot,’ but then when it was all over, when I had time to think about it… what do I even make of that? If your fangs come out when I kiss you, what chance at dating do we even have?”

Nico paused, his dark eyes widened. “You thought it was  _ hot _ ?”

Will huffed something of a laugh. “Is that all you took away from what I said?”

Nico nodded. “I think so.”

Will flushed. But Nico’s face seemed to light up, and that made Will feel at ease. Somehow, seeing the other with hope instead of completely resigned gave Will a sense of…. He didn’t know what the word was? Relief? Hope? Excitement? He didn’t know. But he knew it felt good to see Nico look pleased.

“Not in a ‘I want to get my blood sucked’ kind of way,” Will tried to explain. “But more of a ‘Wow, Nico is so into this he can’t control himself’ kind of way.”

Nico just laughed. “Here I’ve been kicking myself over what happened, and  _ you _ thought it was  _ hot. _ ”

“Oh gods, you’re going to make me regret saying that, aren’t you?”

Nico grinned and took a sip of his drink. “Probably.”

Will took a sip from his drink, too. And suddenly, things felt normal again. Seeing Nico laugh made his heart warm. In the back of his mind, he knew none of this changed anything, but that doubt felt so insignificant in the face of Nico’s happiness, that Will could easily ignore it. He wondered if he should just trust Nico. If Nico said he was in control, or at least, more so than he had been, then maybe Will should just believe him. Nico had always been honest when he needed space, and he gave Will no reason to think he wouldn’t be moving forward.

Moving forward. That’s what Will wanted. He didn’t want to think about Nico being a vampire or what that meant for them. He just wanted there to  _ be  _ a ‘them.’ So, despite all his doubts and his worries that he’d been harboring the last couple of days, he decided to follow his instincts. He leaned forward and kissed Nico.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 Were ya'll wondering what was going on with Jason?! Now you know :( Poor Nico can't catch a break. But at least Will thinks his fangs are hot? So, little victories, right? Kudos and comments are always appreciated.


	16. Instincts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning* This chapter is just straight smut. Please skip if this is something you are uncomfortable reading. I will add notes at the bottom of the page with a summary of anything "important," so you don't feel as though you missed something.

-Nico-

Nico’s eyes grew wide as Will leaned in. His whole body froze except for his heart, which seemed to be absolutely pounding against his ribcage. But he didn’t have time to think, and he definitely didn’t want to withdraw, so he let Will close the distance between them. Will’s lips pressed against Nico’s firmly, confidently, and Nico kissed him back with just as much desire. He wanted this. He wanted Will. Everything else could be figured out later.

Then Will pulled back, and he smiled. Nico couldn’t help but smile back. They looked each other over, both happy and decided. Nico reached over and set his glass down on the coffee table, and Will did the same. In the next moment, they were all over each other, kissing each other in frantic desperation while their hands moved over the other’s body. Nico laced his fingers through the golden curls of Will’s hair, pulling the two of them even closer together. They continued to kiss, hard, and Nico ran his tongue over Will’s bottom lip eagerly. Will’s lips parted. Nico slipped his tongue inside.

He loved the taste of Will on his tongue, warm and sweet with the hint of cognac. Their tongues moved along each other, excitedly. Will grabbed a hold of Nico’s waist and pulled him up onto his lap. Nico climbed on, all too eager. Will slid his hands up and under Nico’s shirt, and held onto his waist with his grip tight and pleading. Nico loved the feeling of Will’s fingers digging into his skin. He pulled his hand from Will’s curls and moved his hands to cup the sides of Will’s face, kissing him hard.

He slid his hands down, tracing Will’s neck before wrapping his arms around him. Will let out a soft groan, lifting his hips up as he did so. Nico pressed his own hips down against his. He rolled his hips forward, slowly, teasing him, until he was able to draw out another desperate breath of air from Will. Will pulled back for a moment, his blue eyes searching him over with a feverish look in his gaze. He smiled, drawing his hands back to pull at Nico’s shirt.

“Can I?” Will asked.

Nico exhaled and nodded. He’d let Will do anything he wanted to. He raised his arms up as Will pulled his shirt off of him, and his warm skin against the cool air sent a shiver down his spine. He was about to take Will’s shirt off, too, when Will said something else that distracted him.

“You’re beautiful,” he murmured.

And Nico felt the rise of heat to his cheeks. He was nothing compared to Will. He leaned forward again, pressing his lips to Will’s, because he didn’t know what else to say or do. And he could feel the way Will’s lips turned into a smile as he kissed Nico back. He placed his hands on Nico’s hips again, drawing him in closer. Nico moved his hips forward, feeling Will’s arousal growing beneath him. He continued to move along up and against Will, and Will’s fingers pressed into his skin harder and desperately.

Still kissing, Nico moved his own hands to the bottom of Will’s sweatshirt. He tugged up suggestively, and Will was quick to to pull back, helping Nico with removing his sweatshirt so that he could get it off as quickly as possible. No sooner was his shirt gone than he pushed his lips back against Nico and started kissing again. Nico laced his arms underneath Will’s gripping his shoulder blades and feeling his skin warm beneath his hands.

They continued on like that, feeling the warmth of each other’s skin and moving their lips along each other until they were both out of breath and panting. Then Will pulled back and made his way to Nico’s neck. And for a moment, Nico felt a sliver of panic. This was exactly what happened last time. He’d been sitting in Will’s lap, letting the other work on his neck, when all of his thoughts came flooding forward until there was only one thing he could think about: blood. It’d made his fangs sharpen, which promptly ended things.

Nico inhaled. He wouldn’t let that happen again. Even if Will  _ did _ think it was hot, he didn’t want to risk anything, ruin anything. So instead of worrying about what happened already and what could happen next, he simply brought his mind back to the present and allowed for Will to continue to kiss and suck at his neck while he enjoyed the feeling. And when Will’s teeth grazed along his skin, and he nipped slightly at him, Nico moaned and rolled his hips forward again.

Nico moved his hands to Will’s shoulders, directing him rather forcefully to lay down on the couch. Will shifted to make himself comfortable under Nico’s weight, and Nico ran his fingers along the other’s abs as he kissed Will slowly and deeply, dragging out every second into an eternity. He felt Will’s hips push up against him. Nico lowered his hand down to Will’s jeans. He pulled back for a moment.

“Is this okay?” he asked.

“Yes,” Will breathed and lifted his head to give Nico another kiss.

Nico smiled, his fingers working at undoing the button of Will’s jeans before slowly pulling down on the zipper. Nico’s heart raced with nervous excitement. He wanted this, and Will wanted this, too. He wanted to make Will feel good, he wanted to draw another moan from his lips and feel him squirm and grind beneath him, desperate for more. He shifted his lips to Will’s jawline, kissing him quickly, as he moved his hand over Will’s boxers, feeling the heat of his cock beneath the fabric.

Nico tightened his grip around Will’s length through his boxers, slowly moving his hand up and down, teasing him. He sat up just enough to get a good look at Will’s face. Will lay beneath him, eyes squeezed shut and lips slightly parted. He raised his hips into Nico’s hand. Nico leaned back forward, unable to stop kissing him. He removed his hand from Will’s boxers, which made Will’s breath hitch in his throat. Nico slipped his thumb under the waistline of Will’s boxers, rubbing his thumb back and forth along his skin.

Will lifted his hips again, urging Nico to continue. Nico withdrew his hand completely, running it along Will’s abs.

“Nico…” Will breathed.

And Nico knew exactly what it was Will wanted. He smiled, knowing he was driving the other crazy with desire. He teased Will by dipping his fingers ever so slightly under the waistline of his boxers again. He rubbed his thumb along the tip of Will’s cock, and it twitched eagerly in response. Nico stopped kissing for a moment, looking at Will.

“Do you want to go to the bedroom?” Nico asked.

Will opened his eyes, and inhaled.

“Yeah,” he managed to get out.

Nico withdrew his hand again, which prompted the slightest gasp from Will’s throat. He gave him one last, long, hard kiss before climbing off of Will and standing up. Hot with excitement, his knees trembled for a moment, but he managed to steady himself. Will looked up at him and smiled. He rolled his legs off over the side of the couch and stood up. No sooner was he standing, than he wrapped his arms around Nico again, pulling him in for another kiss. Nico stepped forward into him, kissing him back.

Will took a step back in the direction of the bedroom. They kissed each other, not wanting to spend more than a second apart, as they stumbled their way back into the bedroom. Eventually, the backs of Will’s knees bumped up against Nico’s bed. Nico grinned, pushing him back playfully onto the mattress. Will propped himself up onto his elbows.

He looked gorgeous. His golden curls were completely disheveled, and his blue eyes were wide in anticipation. From outside, the moonlight reflected off the snow, and a sliver of that silver light came in through the curtain’s of Nico’s window, shining across Will’s skin. Nico could see the spread of freckles across his shoulders and the way his chest rose and fell as he breathed. Will smiled up at Nico.

“You’re staring,” Will chuckled.

“You’re just so fucking gorgeous.”

“Come here.”

Nico leaned over the bed, kissing him for what seemed to be the thousandth time, before pulling back again. He grabbed a hold of the side of Will’s jeans, and Will lifted his hips as Nico slid his jeans and boxers down. Will sat up, helping Nico, as he pulled them and his socks off completely. Nico took a step back, sliding off his own jeans. Without his mouth against Will’s to distract him, he felt nervous all over again. One minute, they were contemplating what they were and if they had any chance at being together, and the next they were all over each other as if this was the only thing in the world that they wanted and needed. But in this moment, all Nico wanted was Will. He didn’t care about anything else.

Once they were both stripped down, Nico climbed on the bed, once again on top of Will. He tucked one of Will’s curls behind his ears and leaned in to place a slow kiss on his lips. Their lips moved thoughtfully against one another’s. They moved slowly until they were both lying on the bed, the desperate excitement having diminished into a deep desire.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Nico asked.

He knew he’d already asked. Twice. But he wanted Will to be sure. Really sure.

“I’m sure, Nico,” Will said. “I want you.”

“Okay,” Nico inhaled and kissed him once more.

  
  
  


-Will

The feel of Nico’s skin against him made him burn with desire. Nico continued to kiss and kiss him, which Will absolutely loved, but it was also driving him utterly insane. The thing was, and Will hadn’t told Nico this, but he’d never actually had sex before. He had a hard and fast rule about not dating while he was in college, and although he’d made out with other guys plenty of times, he never went all the way. He wasn’t one for hookups.

But here and now, with Nico, he felt differently. He wanted nothing more than to be with him in every way he possibly could. It felt as though his body ached for Nico. That still didn’t mean he had any idea what he was doing. He didn’t. He knew he just needed to follow his instincts. He just wanted Nico to take the lead on this. And Nico was taking things out  _ slowly. _

Will grinded upward against Nico, urging him on. He could feel the warmth of Nico’s breath as he gave out a small chuckle.

“Someone’s eager,” Nico teased.

But Will didn’t have any thought for embarrassment. All he wanted was to feel more of Nico.

“You’re driving me crazy,” Will said.

“I know, and it’s turning me on.”

Will reached down and grabbed a hold of Nico’s cock. It was warm to the touch, and Will began stroking him up and down, slowly. If Nico wanted to tease him, he’d tease him right back. Will could see as Nico’s breath caught in his throat, and his eyes fell shut. He thrust his hips forward into Will’s hand, to which Will responded by moving even slower.

“Fuck,” Nico whispered between his teeth.

And Will liked seeing him like this. He understood the appeal of the teasing. Will continued to move his hand up and down Nico’s shaft, until Nico dropped forward in deep breaths against Will’s chest. Nico rolled his hips forward, pressing the head of his cock into Will’s stomach.

“I want to be inside you,” Nico groaned as he moved his hips.

“Do whatever you want with me.”

Nico breathed and pushed himself upward. He leaned back on his heels into a sitting position as Will continued to work on him. Then Nico reached back and pressed a finger against the rim of his ass.

Will suddenly stopped moving. Reality snapped forward, and Will looked up at Nico. Nico hesitated, looking back down at him.

“Is everything okay?” Nico asked.

“Yes,” Will answered. “I just… I actually haven’t ever done this before.”

A flash of realization crossed Nico’s eyes, and he said, “We can stop if you want.”

“No, I want to keep going.”

“Okay,” Nico nodded slightly. “I’ll take it slow. Let me know if it becomes too much or if anything hurts or if you want to stop.”

“Okay.”

Nico shifted backward, placing his finger back where it was. He gently inserted the tip of his finger inside, which made Will buck his hips. The feeling was strange at first, but it also sent a hot surge of pleasure through him, and he nodded up at Nico to let him know it was okay to keep going.

Nico began to slide his finger in deeper, before pulling halfway out, and pushing inward again. The motion made Will burn with hunger for more, but he knew it was best to let Nico take his time and do what he needed to do. Nico continued to thrust his finger in him, and Will tipped his head back and lifted his lips more.

With his free hand, Nico grabbed a hold of Will’s erection and began stroking him as a second finger worked its way inside him.

Will paused, feeling himself stretch open even more, but he was quick to adjust to the feeling and began moving his hips once more. Nico moved his fingers forward and back, pressing deeper and deeper into him each time. Will couldn’t focus or think straight, feeling the pleasure on both his cock and in his ass, and he let out another shameless moan.

Nico must’ve taken that as his cue to continue because then he very carefully pressed a third finger inside, and Will really couldn’t contain himself.

“You feel so good,” Will said.

“Good,” Nico replied, a slight purr in his voice. “I want you to enjoy this.”

And he kept on moving his fingers while stroking Will’s cock, and Will rocked his hips up and down, enjoying everything about it. And after a few more minutes, when Will felt he might just cum from this alone, Nico let go and removed his fingers. Will let out a small gasp, immediately missing the feeling and longing for more.

Nico leaned forward and kissed his lips, and Will returned the kiss hard and intensely. Nico pulled back.

“I just need to get the lube and a condom,” he told Will.

Nico reached over to his nightstand, opened the drawer, and pulled out a condom and a bottle of lube. Will watched, anticipation and excitement building in his core, as Nico opened the condom wrapper and tossed it on the ground. He placed the condom on the head of his cock, unrolling it along his shaft. Once it was one, he squeezed some lube into his hand and worked it over the condom, stroking himself in a way that made Will’s mouth water.

Once Nico was done, he settled back into position above Will.

“Are you ready?” Nico purred.

“Yeah,” Will answered. “I am.”

Nico pressed the tip of his cock against Will’s ass, and Will let his head fall back down onto the pillow. He lay there with a slight tremble in his knees, somewhat nervous but mostly excited and needing. Nico pushed slowly into Will, and Will felt himself expanding around him. He clenched the sheets in his hands and swallowed. He raised his hips into the air, and Nico pushed in a little bit more.

Will continued to breathe as Nico slowly filled him. And when Nico was all the way inside, Will slightly lowered his hips again. Nico waited a moment for Will to adjust and get comfortable. And when Will looked up at him and gave him a nod to continue, Nico grabbed a hold of his thighs and began to move. He started off with a roll of his hips, not going too fast, and continued on like this until Will couldn’t take it anymore and pushed himself further onto Nico.

Nico understood and began to pick up his pace to a thrust. A moan escaped Will’s throat as he did so. Nico continued to move forward and back, rocking against Will as he did so. And the more he moved the faster he got, and he took Will’s cock in his hand and began to work him up and down that way, too.

Will moved his hips in sync with Nico’s movements, heat spiraling through his body. He arched his back and bit his bottom lip, and Nico pushed into him harder. His cock throbbed in Nico’s hand, and he pushed back against Nico’s cock. His breathing hitched and his heart pounded, and the tension continued to build until his whole body felt tight. Nico shifted and leaned forward, until their chests were touching, and Nico breathed heavily into his neck. Nico thrusted against him again, and Will lost all control as he came, spilling into Nico’s hand.

Nico picked himself up off of Will, sitting back with his cock still inside him. He slowed his hand and hips to gently stroke Will up and down, sending shivers of elation through him as he dragged out his orgasm. Will squeezed his eyes shut, his whole body unable to move, as his cock continued to throb in Nico’s caress. And when he finally finished, he swallowed, gasping for air.

Will looked up at Nico in disbelief, his heart still racing, and his hips shaking. After a moment when he was able to gather his thoughts and find words again, he inhaled.

“You can keep going.”

It was Nico’s turn to swallow. He breathed heavily and started his hips up once more. He moved again with slow intent but not with the same slow build as last time, as he continued to move faster and faster. Will watched him, his own body still throbbing and aching, enjoying the aftermath of having just finished. He watched as Nico closed his eyes, thrusting deeper and deeper. His breathing became more ragged, and his fingers bit deeper into Will’s thighs. 

And when Nico tilted his head back in absolute ecstasy with his lips slightly parted, Will could see his fangs had come out. Will felt a surge of heat tear through him, and he pushed his hips back onto Nico’s cock. Nico moaned, stilled, and Will could feel his cock throbbing inside him. After a moment, Nico slowly pulled out, gasping, and removed the condom. He tied it up and threw it on the floor before collapsing on Will’s chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 A few things here... This was my first time writing smut, like ever, so bear with me hahaha. Kudos and comments are always appreciated :)
> 
> If you skipped the chapter and are just reading the notes. Here is a summary of what you missed:  
> -Will takes off Nico's shirt and tells him he's beautiful  
> -Nico's caught staring and tells Will he's "fucking gorgeous"  
> -Both lose any hesitation and consent to sex (multiple times)  
> -Nico takes things slowly, which drives Will crazy  
> -Will admits he's never had sex before (because of his whole, not dating in college rule)  
> -Will loses his virginity to Nico  
> -Surprise: Nico's a top  
> -Nico's fangs come out (again) when he finishes, and Will thinks it's hot
> 
> *Mom voice activates* ALWAYS OBTAIN ACTIVE AND ENTHUSIASTIC CONSENT. AND BY THE GODS, USE PROTECTION.


	17. Moving Forward

-Nico-

Nico took a moment to breath. He closed his eyes as his heart beat fast, and he waited for it to calm and to get control of his breathing. And when he opened his eyes again, he was very much aware that his face was nuzzled in Will’s neck, and his fangs throbbed.

He pressed his lips to Will’s neck, and he could feel the heat of his skin, and the pulse of his blood. The sound of Will’s heart pounding filled his ears until it was the only thing left in the room. He parted his lips ever so slightly, letting the tips of his fangs press against Will’s skin. He could feel them pulse, as if in sync with the flow of Will’s blood, just millimeters away. All he had to to was apply a little pressure, sink his teeth in deep, and—

“ _ FUCK!”  _ Nico pushed himself upward abruptly.

“What are you doing?” Will asked, confused.

“I’ll be right back.”

Nico jumped off the bed. He crossed the room at a quick pace, left, and closed the door behind him. Nico stood there against the door, not caring that he was absolutely stark naked as he took another moment to breathe. Then he moved to the kitchen where he opened the refrigerator door and stared at the blood bags. His fangs ached more at the sight. He didn’t need this. He’d just had one earlier today. But hunger burned through him, and he didn’t know how he was going to stop himself. It was okay if he drank blood twice in one day if it meant he could keep his control around Will, right? He started reaching for one of the bags.

“Are you okay?” Will’s voice suddenly came up from behind him.

Nico spun around. He’d been so fixated on the blood bags, he hadn’t even heard the bedroom door open. He closed the refrigerator door behind him, shamefully trying to hide what he’d been doing. Will stood in the doorway of the bedroom with his boxers pulled back on, and Nico realized he was entirely too naked to be having this conversation right now.

“Yes,” Nico answered, all too aware that his fangs were still out.

But if Will noticed, he didn’t give any indication. He didn’t seem scared or off-put. No. Instead, he looked entirely concerned.

“It’s okay if you’re hungry,” Will said. “You don’t need to panic.”

Okay, so Will did know. Then again, it was obvious. There was no other reason for Nico to have freaked out and gone to the fridge.

“No, it’s not okay. I fed this morning. I don’t need another one.”

Will frowned. “Okay, then maybe you just need a distraction? Until you can settle down?”

Nico swallowed and nodded.

“You’re right. Okay. That’s a good idea,” he said. “I’m going to take a shower.”

Will nodded, and Nico walked over to the bathroom. He ran the water in the shower until it was warm and stepped inside. He stood there for a minute before moving, trying to gather himself, and once he did, he started to wash. Slowly but surely, the aching in his fangs subsided, and he could feel them retract to normal. Nico sighed with relief. All he needed was a distraction and some space. Will was right. He could do this.

Once he was clean, he turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. He dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist before brushing his teeth, combing his hair, and applying some deodorant. He stepped out of the bathroom and headed back toward the living room, where he saw Will was sitting on the couch, seemingly lost in thought.

Nico sat down on the couch beside Will. He looked over at the other.

“Did I ruin it?” he asked. “Again?”

Will looked at him and gave him a small smile.

“No. You were perfect,” Will said. He leaned in and gave Nico a reassuring kiss before pulling back again.

“Now,” Will continued, “do you mind if I shower, too? I feel kind of… sticky.”

Nico grinned. “Sure, of course. The towels are in the cabinet in the bathroom.”

“Thanks,” Will said, standing up.

Will made his way over to the bathroom, and Nico leaned back on the couch. After a minute, he heard the water running. Nico stretched forward to grab his glass of cognac that he’d left on the table. He took a sip and let the liquid slip down his throat, warming his mouth. He continued to sip at his drink until Will was finished showering and came back over to join him.

“I think I should probably go now,” Will said. “It’s already late, and I’m honestly exhausted.”

“Do you want to stay the night?”

“I don’t think I can go for another round,” Will said.

Nico snorted. “That’s not what I meant.”

Will smiled. “I guess I could stay the night then. You’re not going to ditch me to sleep on the couch again?”

“Only if you steal all the covers.” Nico grinned.

Will shrugged playfully. “Last I checked, you were the one rolled up like a burrito on the couch.”

Nico laughed at that. “I just like to be comfortable, okay?”

“Okay,” Will reached out his hand. “Let’s go to bed.”

Nico took Will’s hand and stood up. They held hands as they walked back into Nico’s bedroom. They both removed their towels and crawled into bed. Nico rolled forward and kissed Will before withdrawing, and Will gave him a sleepy smile in turn.

“Turn around,” Will said.

And so Nico did. Then he felt Will’s arm around him, as he snuggled in close.

“Goodnight, Will,” he whispered.

“Goodnight, Nico,” Will murmured into his hair. 

Nico closed his eyes, sinking into Will’s warmth. Not long after, he fell asleep.

  
  
  


-Will-

Will awoke abruptly, something shaking against his chest. He opened his eyes, and it took a moment to register what it was going on. He’d fallen asleep holding Nico, and they’d stayed like that the entire night, both too comfortable and happy to move. But now, Nico was shaking. Will’s brows knitted together. The blanket was still on Nico, and Will himself felt rather warm with the heat of their bodies pressed together, so what was wrong? Then he heard the smallest whimper escape Nico’s throat, and he realized Nico was crying.

Propping himself up onto his elbow, he gave Nico a gentle nudge. Nico suddenly stopped moving. Then he rolled around to look up at Will. His eyes were red and damp, his cheeks were streamed with dried tear stains, and his lips were sealed shut.

“Hey,” Will whispered. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Sorry,” Nico mumbled, burying his head into the pillow.

“Were you crying in your sleep?”

Nico nodded and said something in response, but whatever he said was too muffled for Will to hear.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Nico turned his head and looked at Will again. “I was just having nightmares… about when I was captured.”

And as Nico spoke, Will could see his fangs were sharp in his mouth. Whatever he had been dreaming must’ve triggered a fight or flight response in him. Will suppressed the slight tremor of fear he had in his chest. He  _ knew _ Nico wasn’t going to hurt him. If yesterday was a testimony to anything, Nico really did care about Will and would take off before putting Will in any danger.

He knew he might be playing with fire, but at this moment he didn’t care. Nico needed him. Will leaned forward and pressed his lips to Nico’s forehead.

“You’re okay now,” Will spoke softly.

Nico pulled back ever so slightly. “I just feel so… broken.”

“You’re not broken, Nico. What they did to you was unethical and terrible, and you didn’t deserve any of it.”

Nico sighed and closed his eyes. “When it was just the physical things… the torture, I could handle it. It hurt, really hurt, but I could endure it, you know? And then they started prodding into my mind, asking me questions and assuming things about my life, and it was like I completely fell apart.”

As Nico explained, Will watched him intently. The boy’s fangs slowly but surely retracted until they were normal. He just needed to calm down. He just needed to talk about it.

“I’m not going to push you to talk about anything, but I’m here to listen if you ever do,” Will reassured him.

“It’s nothing even  _ that _ bad,” Nico explained, rolling onto his back to look up at the ceiling. “It just brought up all of these memories that my family was human. I mean, I never knew my dad, but I was close with my mom and my older sister, Bianca. But once I turned, I couldn’t be around them anymore. I couldn’t let them know what I became. So I ran, and I never spoke to them again. It wasn’t until decades later that I learned when they even passed, but still. Even though I wasn’t a part of their lives anymore, I still mourned them.”

“That is  _ that bad _ , Nico,” Will told him. “You lost your family. Just because you didn’t have a relationship with them anymore, doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to hurt.”

“And then there was the boyfriend who turned me, and he left me, too. And then there was Percy, but that’s a long story, and he shut me out, too. And now… now there’s everything that just happened with Jason,” Nico continued. “I lost him, too.”

Though Will didn’t know a lot about Nico’s life and relationships, he remembered Nico had mentioned Jason when they’d gone to the Lotus Hotel for drinks. Jason was his friend, and he was human.

“What happened with Jason?”

“He found out. He found out about me being a vampire.”

“Oh.” Will frowned.

Nico rolled back onto his side. His eyes were dry now, but they were still wide with worry. “And there’s you, too. We still haven’t figured anything out between us.”

Will lifted his arm and pulled Nico up against his chest for a hug.

“I know things are… complicated,” Will started. He tried to just say how he felt instead of trying to overthink everything. “But I meant what I said when I told you I liked you. Maybe we can just try things out and face the problems as they come.”

And Will barely even knew what he was saying. He just wanted to make Nico feel better. But as the words left his mouth, he knew he wasn’t lying, either. There was truth to them. He did like Nico, and he did want to try and work things out between them. Whatever that meant, they could figure it out at a later time.

Nico tilted his head upward and gave Will another kiss. “You don’t have to just say things because I was crying.”

“I mean it, Nico. I want to be with you.”

Nico smiled. “I want to be with you, too.”

They kissed again and everything just felt right in that moment.

“What do you say we go get some breakfast?” Will said.

“I don’t eat, but I could sure go for a cup of coffee.”

“I know a really good coffee shop around here, if you want to go.”

“I would like that.”

The two rolled out of bed, sort of begrudgingly to leave the warmth of the comforter and each other. Will put his clothes back on from the night before, and Nico switched into something new. When Will looked over at Nico again, he couldn’t help but laugh. His dark hair was pushed up on one side, and the other had a frizzy wave to it.

“What?” Nico demanded.

“You have some major bedhead.”

Nico whipped around to his closet, pulled out a black beanie that was hanging there, and put it on.

“Not anymore,” he smirked. “Do you need a hat, too? It’s kind of cold out.”

“If you don’t mind.”

Nico grabbed another beanie out of his closet. It was dark gray and had a puffball on top. Will took it and placed it on his head.

“I don’t think I could ever imagine you wearing a hat with a puffball,” Will commented.

Nico blushed. “It was a gift from my friend, Hazel.”

Once they were both ready, they headed out of Nico’s apartment and down the stairs. They reached the bottom floor, and Will saw there was another guy, about their age, standing in the hallway, locking up the door of his own apartment. Will wouldn’t have thought anything of it, but then the blond guy turned around, his eyes switching between Nico and Will. His expression turned to a frown. He looked to Will.

“You’re Will Solace, right?”

Will nodded, confused.

“Does he know, Nico?” the blond then turned to Nico, a scowl on his face, and asked. “Did you tell him, or do I have to?

Nico froze, then he managed to say, “Jason, don’t be like this.”

Then it struck Will.  _ That _ was Jason. He was Nico’s friend who found out Nico was a vampire.  _ “I lost him, too,”  _ Nico had said. Will defensively grabbed Nico’s hand and directed them out the front door.

“I  _ do _ know,” Will answered as he walked, bite in his voice, “and I don’t care.”

Will didn’t bother looking over his shoulder to see the expression on Jason’s face. But Jason didn’t say anything in turn, so that satisfied Will enough. Will pulled Nico through the front door and out of the apartment complex. They stepped out onto the sidewalk and started down the street, their hands still clamped together.

“You didn’t have to do that, you know,” Nico said suddenly.

“I don’t like the way he talked to you.”

Nico sighed and let go of Will’s hand. He stopped walking, and Will paused to turn to him. “Jason’s not a bad guy. He’s great, really. I think he’s just shocked about finding out. I can’t really blame him.”

Will frowned. Although he wanted to disagree, he knew he really wasn’t in a position to judge. He didn’t know Jason afterall.

“I was friends with Jason for two years,” Nico continued. “He feels lied to. And scared.”

“Maybe he just needs time, then,” Will concluded.

“Let’s hope so.” Nico started walking again. “Let’s take my car. I hate walking in the cold.”

Will nodded and Nico led the way to his car. They climbed inside, Nico started the car, and they started to drive. Will gave him directions to the coffee shop, which was only two blocks away and very walkable, but with everything else going on, he wasn’t about to insist on walking. Nico parked the car on the street out from and they headed inside.

Heat blasted from the vents in the shop, and Will was all too ready to take off his jacket. The warmth was comfortable, and the shop smelled strongly off coffee and sweets. They picked one of the open booths in the back, slid in, and took off their jackets. It wasn’t long after they sat down that a waitress came to take their orders. Will ordered pancakes and a hot chocolate, and Nico settled for a black coffee. Once the waitress was gone, Will looked up at Nico.

He didn’t want to bring up the Jason situation again. They’d only been awake an hour, if that, and already dwelled on some depressing topics. Now that they were out, Will figured he would maybe try and lighten things up again.

“You’re missing out,” Will said. “The pancakes here are amazing.”

Nico chuckled. “I don’t even remember what pancakes  _ taste _ like.”

“That’s probably the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Yeah, it’s right up there with puppy mills and expired coupons.”

Will laughed. “My thoughts exactly.”

“You know,” Nico leaned in. “I actually went out the morning on the first night you stayed over my apartment to get you something to eat, and when I was at the store, I realized I hadn’t actually cooked anything in decades and would probably butcher any attempt at making something in the kitchen.”

“Are you talking about the night I stayed over drunk, threw up, and passed out in your bed?”

“Sounds about right.”

“Oh gods,” Will groaned. “You did  _ not _ need to go get me food. You should have just kicked me to the curb.”

Nico grinned, entertained by Will’s reaction. “Well if it makes you feel any better, I only got stuff that could be heated up in a microwave. I figured I wouldn’t mess that up.”

“Now I need to know what you picked out.”

Nico took a moment to think it over before saying, “Just breakfast sandwiches and poptarts. But now that I know you like pancakes, I can get you those.”

“Oh, Nico, please don’t.” Will laughed. “Microwavable pancakes are the  _ worst _ .”

“Maybe I can learn to make them, then?”

Will raised a brow. “Are you suggesting I’ll be staying over often?”

Nico turned red. “As often as you want to.”

Will grinned widely, and soon the waitress was back with their drinks. She let Will know it’ll be another few minutes before his food was ready, and she asked Nico if he was sure he didn’t want anything, to which he politely declined. She smiled at them both and then walked over to another table to take their order.

Nico lifted the coffee to his lips and took a sip. “I like this place.”

“Me too. Cecil, Lou Ellen, and I come here all the time.”

“I’m glad you have such good friends.”

Will felt the smile drop ever so slightly from his face. He knew Nico didn’t mean anything by it, but he also knew Nico’s life was filled with a lot of loss, and he didn’t have very many friends.

“You should meet them,” Will said. “Sometime over break. I think we’re doing something for New Year’s.”

“Are you sure?” Nico asked, hesitantly. “I mean, I still understand why you didn’t want me to the other night.”

“I think it would be fun. Plus, if Cecil doesn’t meet you soon, he’ll probably just make another embarrassing phone call to you.”

Nico grinned. “Okay, well, I can meet them. I’m sure I’ll be even better off by New Year’s than I am now.”

“It’s a date then,” Will agreed.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than he realized what he said.  _ Date _ . Just yesterday, he couldn’t figure out what he thought or felt, and now he was using the word ‘date.’ He looked up to Nico to see the other’s reaction, but Nico didn’t seem phased by it in the least. Did that mean they were dating now? Will  _ had _ said he wanted to make things work out with Nico, and he’d meant it. He just wondered if that made things official between them.

_ Do I really have a vampire boyfriend? _

A few minutes later, the waitress returned with Will’s breakfast, setting the plate down in front of him. She refilled Nico’s coffee mug to the top, and they both thanked her before she left. The two of them continued to talk a little over breakfast, and Will mostly just told Nico about Cecil and Lou Ellen, how’d they’d all met, and their friendship. He filled Nico in on what to expect when he met them, and sort of glossed over a warning about Lou Ellen’s suspicion of him. When Nico asked why, Will mentioned him showing up at the diner unannounced, to which Nico blushed and took another sip of his coffee. He told Will even Jason thought that was weird, but he didn’t know how else he was going to see Will again.

Will just laughed. He didn’t mind. Although his methods were a little stalker-ish, he was overall glad that Nico was able to find him again. If it weren’t for that, he wouldn’t be sitting here right now, enjoying breakfast and content, with someone who was nothing short of amazing. And incredibly handsome. But that was just a bonus.

They finished up soon enough, paid the bill, and slipped back into their jackets before heading outside to Nico’s car. Nico started the car, turned on the radio to a low volume, which was playing Christmas music on a loop these last few weeks, and started driving.

“Am I taking you home, I’m guessing?” Nico asked. “I’m sure you want to change into something fresh.”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Will agreed. “I’m shadowing at the hospital later, anyways, so I was going to go to my dad’s for a bit beforehand.”

“If you’re this busy over break, I can’t imagine what it’s like for you during school,” Nico answered, turning down the next street toward Will’s apartment.

Will huffed. “It’s complete mayhem, if i’m being honest.”

“I hope you’ll still have time for me,” Nico teased.

“I’ll make time. Or you can just stalk me at the diner again.”

Nico laughed. Soon enough, they were back at Will’s apartment. Nico put the car into park. Will’s heart raced unsure if he should kiss Nico or not before getting out. But then he decided after everything else they’d done last night, a kiss was nothing to be nervous about. So, he leaned over and gave Nico a kiss before unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out. Right before he closed the door, he realized he was still wearing Nico’s beanie.

“Oh!” he said, taking it off and handing it out. “Here’s your beanie back.”

“You can keep it,” Nico said. “I would never wear it. Plus, it looks good on you.”

Will smiled and put it back on. “I’ll text you later then?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Will closed the door, waved goodbye, and then headed back up the steps to his apartment. Once he was inside and slid off his jacket and boots, he made his way over to the couch where he plopped down with a rather exaggerated exhale. He was dating Nico. He was dating a freaking vampire. But as his heart pounded in his chest, he realized he thought no longer scared him. He was happy and excited and giddy, and it felt like he’d been reduced to a teenager all over again. And then he realized, he had absolutely no idea what Nico’s last name was. He pulled out his phone and sent a text.

Will:  _ stupid question, but i just realized i have no clue what your last name is _

About ten minutes later he got a text back.

Nico:  _ di Angelo _

Nico:  _ but i don’t have any social media if you’re trying to show me off to your friends ;) _

Will:  _ that’s okay. i’ll just leave the social media stalking to you _

Nico:  _ ouch. i’m never going to live this down, am i? _

Will:  _ probably not. _

Will:  _ i’m going to get ready to go to my dad’s now. i’ll talk to you later _

Nico:  _ see ya _

Will put his phone down and couldn’t help but grin. He was dating  _ Nico di Angelo. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 I, for one, am PROUD of Will. He's really trying here, guys. Wish I could say the same for Jason. UGH. But Nico is forgiving of him, so I GUESS I should be, too. Anyways, kudos and comments are always appreciated :)


	18. Aid

-Nico-

Nico woke up the following morning in utter disbelief. He couldn’t believe what had happened the day before. Things were going well with Will for once? Was he dreaming? It all felt too good to be true. He checked his phone to see a text from Will. His heart started beating excitedly. This wasn’t a dream after all.

Will:  _ good morning :) _

Sent at 8:11 AM.

Nico looked at the time. It was now half-past eleven. Oops.

Nico:  _ good morning, will _

Will:  _ hey there, lazy. are you just now waking up? _

Nico:  _ … don’t judge me  _

Will:  _ hahah i would never _

Nico:  _ some of us don’t like waking up at the ass crack of dawn like you _

Will:  _ i’m just an early riser, what can i say? plus, there were some errands i needed to run this morning before my shadowing shift at the hospital soon _

Nico:  _ what time is that at? _

Will:  _ i’m actually headed out the door now, my dad just got here  _

Nico:  _ oh, well then don’t let me keep you. have fun _

Will:  _ i’ll text you later _

Nico:  _ sounds good :) _

Nico set his phone down with a smile. He rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. He had a full day of absolutely nothing planned, and knowing Will was out there working his tail off, did make him feel somewhat guilty. He figured he should really start doing something with his time soon. He did have a lot of it, after all, and he didn’t want to spend eternity locked up in his apartment. He wondered if he should try and get a job. But what would he even do, anyways? He wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of doing something customer-service related, as dealing with people day in and day out did make him kind of nervous. Then there was the whole being a vampire thing. He knew he needed to work on his self-control before he could even  _ think _ to try and acclimate himself more into society.

But he could try with taking baby steps. Maybe today could be the day that he took more initiative. And knowing he now had Will by his side did make the idea a lot less scary. He wanted to be able to go on dates with Will and do normal things, so he’d need to learn to step out of his comfort zone.

Nico decided to get dressed and take a walk over to the cafe Will had taken him to yesterday. Their coffee was rather good, and he could use some fresh air. As much as he didn’t like the cold, he knew he had some time to kill and walking was a good way to do that. Once he was outside and the wind was blowing snowflakes in his face, he realized he very much regretted the idea to walk before ultimately deciding he needed to grow up a bit.

He reached the cafe in just a few minutes and walked inside, enjoying its warmth. It was filled with mostly college-aged kids, all enjoying their time off during winter break. Will had mentioned that he, Cecil, and Lou Ellen came here often, and he couldn’t help but wonder if Will’s friends were here. Though, he wouldn’t recognize them, even if they were, and he was fairly certain they had no idea what he looked like either. It wasn’t as though he had any social media, and he and Will hadn’t taken any pictures together.

Nico approached the register and ordered himself a large black coffee. It was ready in just a minute, and he took it to one of the tables where he could sit by himself and drink it. And once he was sitting down by himself, he became all too aware that he was surrounded by so many people who were all enjoying the company of their friends. He missed Jason. He hoped that Will was right. That Jason only needed time to process everything. He wondered if whatever aid Hades was going to send to fix things, would ultimately help his situation with Jason. He hoped so. But there was a nagging voice in Nico’s head that told him their friendship was over, and he needed to move on. This was on him, afterall, he was the one who kept his true self a secret from Jason for so long.

Nico finished his coffee and decided not to stick around much longer after that. He put his jacket back on, bracing himself for the winter that was just on the other side of the cafe’s glass door. Nico didn’t waste any time getting back home. Once he was back in his apartment building, he took a long moment to stare at Jason’s door. He wondered if he should knock and try to explain himself further to Jason. But he also knew that Jason probably did need both time and space, and if Nico were to push the situation, he’d only make things worse.

His eyes drifted to the mailboxes, and he decided to check his mail. He didn’t normally receive any mail whatsoever and never really bothered to check, but then he’d remembered that he’d wrote to Hades, and thought he should probably look to see if the father of all vampires wrote anything back. He almost never did. He was surprised when he checked his mailbox, and there was actually a letter there.

He grabbed the envelope and went back upstairs to his apartment. As he walked, he saw his name and address were both on the front, a postage stamp stuck to the corner, but there was no return address. It  _ had _ to be from Hades. Nico awed at the fact that he actually had a letter.

Nico walked into the kitchen and leaned up against the counter. He opened the envelope and withdrew the letter. It was short and nicely written, with a good and fluid control over the cursive letters. His eyes skipped to the bottom of the page, where he read “Hades.” He shifted his focus back to the top and began reading.

_ Dearest Nico di Angelo, _

_ Thank you for writing me. I, myself, write with deep regret to learn what has happened to you. You have done well to remain quiet and not speak on the matter of vampires, keeping the rest of us safe while you yourself were suffering. You have always been careful and cautious when it comes to such matters, and I’ve always taken pride in your ability to use your head over your instincts. For such an event to occur is an outrage. I am sending aid to you to get matters resolved and hopefully to prevent an instance like this from occurring again. _

_ Please do consider moving home for a while. I can provide you with all of the safety and security you need. That aside, I would like to express my gratitude in person. _

_ With Utmost Sincerity, _

_ Hades _

Nico didn’t know what to make of the letter. Though it was short, it seemed to contain volumes. Hades was sending aid? What did that even mean? Nico checked the envelope to find it was empty. So what else was he sending? Or  _ who _ ? Nico figured it made more sense for him to send a someone rather than a something. But he didn’t like that idea at all. He could take care of things himself and didn’t need anyone, especially if it were another vampire, to get involved. But he also knew he wasn’t really in a position to say so. One didn’t simply say no to Hades, especially if it was an offer of help. To do so would be like a slap in the face. And Nico was definitely not slapping Hades, metaphorically or otherwise.

Then he figured Hades was older than he was. He’d been around a lot longer and knew how things worked. Whatever he decided to do was probably done with thought and consideration, so Nico probably had nothing to worry about. If anything, it was only embarrassing to need help. But what had happened, happened, and there was no going back to change that now.

Then there was the other part about the letter he had to think about. Hades had written to him to come home. And Nico knew what, or rather where, that meant. Greece. But he really couldn’t tell if it was really just an offer in light of everything that happened, or a lightly veiled command. He read it over a couple of times, trying to figure it out. Hades was always polite and well-mannered, but that made his messages just that more difficult to understand. Were there intentions behind what he had written, or was Nico just overthinking it?

Nico read the letter until he had it just about memorized. When he finished, he took out a lighter from his cabinet and burned it in his kitchen sink. There was no being too careful when it came to letters from Hades or speak of vampires. Once it was burnt and nothing but gray ash in his sink, he ran the water and cleaned everything up. He supposed there was nothing else left for him to do but just wait for whatever aid Hades planned to send.

He took out his phone and texted Hazel.

Nico:  _ hey hazel, have you heard from hades at all? _

Hazel:  _ i haven’t seen him since i got back. Why? _

Nico:  _ just wondering. i got a letter from him saying that he’s going to “send aid” to me, whatever that means _

Hazel:  _ hmm… well i can’t say i know anything about it. do you want me to look into it? _

Nico:  _ no, it’s all good. i’d rather not bother him _

Hazel:  _ alright, good. me neither. he still kinda intimidates me lol _

Nico:  _ me too _

Hazel:  _ how are things otherwise? are you safe? _

Nico:  _ so far so good _

Hazel:  _ okay, well keep me updated _

Nico:  _ will do _

With nothing much else to do, Nico looked around his apartment for something to entertain himself with. He supposed he could play video games for a bit, but it didn’t feel right playing them without Jason around. Nico sighed and looked over his apartment once more. His electric guitar sat on the stand beside his TV, and he realized it’d been quite a while since he actually picked it up and played. He figured he’d probably be a bit rusty at first, but it was nothing a few hours of practice couldn’t fix. Nico picked up his guitar, plugging it into the amp before turning it on, and headed back to the couch. He started strumming a few simple chords, letting the movement become familiar in his hands once more, before deciding to do a few exercises to warm up.

Once everything was good and comfortable, he started playing. But the music got boring quickly, as he just played songs he already knew. He took out his phone, wondering if he should learn to play new music. He figured there was no harm in trying and started looking up new songs. His thoughts quickly turned to what songs Will would like, and what songs would impress him. He was embarrassed with himself for letting his thoughts go in that direction, feeling absolutely juvenile, but he also knew there was no helping it.

So Nico looked up the chords to songs he knew Will liked and started practicing.

  
  
  


-Will-

Will wandered around the hospital quite aimlessly. His father had dragged him in for another shadowing shift, insisting that he needed the hours. But then he found out his shadowing was mostly just him sitting in his father’s office while his father reviewed paperwork. So he’d decided to get up and stretch his legs.

As he walked he wondered if he should get Nico anything for Christmas. Nico had told him that religion wasn’t really for him, but he wondered if Nico celebrated Christmas anyways. It was just as much of a cultural thing as a religious thing anyway. And if Nico got  _ him _ something, he didn’t want to have nothing to give in return.

His thoughts turned to the blood bags in the coolers downstairs. Will shook his head. He couldn’t just give Nico a blood bag. That was like saying, “Hey, I don’t see you as anything more than a vampire with zero interests or personality in anything outside of blood.” He needed to get him something more personalized.

Nico liked coffee. Will thought maybe he could get him a customized coffee mug or a french press or something.  _ No, that’s sooo lame,  _ he scorned himself. This was too hard. He’d never had to buy anyone else a Christmas gift before aside from his father or when he and his friends did Secret Santa.

Although Will couldn’t exactly figure out  _ what  _ he wanted to get Nico for Christmas. He knew one thing for certain. He wanted to spend Christmas with Nico. Maybe that was good enough. Rather than get Nico anything, they could just have a fun night together. Besides, Nico had told him he didn’t have any plans for Christmas other than staying at home.

Will ducked into an empty room. He took his phone out and dialed Nicos’s number. He wanted to hear Nico’s voice rather than send a text. The phone rang a few times ,but then the other answered.

“Hey Will,” Nico answered, sounding happy. “How’s your shadowing at the hospital going?”

“It’s alright,” Will answered. “Mostly just drunken holiday mishaps ending up in the ER.”

Nico chuckled. “Sounds exhilarating.”

“It is,” Will laughed.

“Do you think you’re going to be there late?”

“No, I should probably be out of here in an hour or two.”

“Good. You deserve a break.”

Will smiled at his phone. “You act like I work all the time.”

“More than I do.”

“Trade places with me?” Will joked.

“I’d rather just be there with you,” Nico said, and Will could hear his smile through the phone.

Will could feel himself blush. He cleared his throat and said, “Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my apartment on Christmas night? I’ll be at my dad’s during the day, but I can leave early.”

There was a pause. “Are you sure? I don’t want to steal you away from your family on Christmas.”

Will grinned. “Yes. I want to see you.”

“Okay,” Nico agreed. “We can do that. I can go to your apartment.”

“Good. Great. Okay. Yeah.” Will started stumbling over his words, nervous with excitement. “I’ll text you tomorrow then?”

“Sure. I’ll talk to you then.”

“Okay. Have a goodnight, Nico.”

“Thank you. You, too.”

Will hung up the call and headed back out into the hall. He was smiling like an idiot but couldn’t bring himself to care. He decides to head back to his father’s office, where he could wait out the end of his shadowing shift before finally going home and crashing for the night. 

Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and now that he had plans for Nico to come over on Christmas night, he would have to spend the whole day decorating his apartment. Well, he didn’t have to. He wanted to. He wanted to make it a fun and special Christmas for Nico. That, and it would also be Nico’s first time at Will’s apartment, so he wanted it to look nice.

Will stepped into his father’s office, and his father looked up from his desk at Will.

“What are you smiling about?” his father asked, raising a curious brow.

“Ah, nothing. I was just talking to Cecil and Lou Ellen for a bit.”

“I see,” his father mused. “You’ll have to tell them I said hello text time you see them.”

“I will.”

“I’m finishing up some paperwork, but I’m thinking of heading out a little early,” his father said, sitting back in his chair. “Do you want to grab a late dinner before I drop you off at your apartment?”

“Sure. I’m starving.”

Will waited patiently for his father to finish up his work. It didn’t take his father much longer, and soon, he was packing up his bag, ready to leave. Will stood up, glad to be getting out of the hospital early. It wasn’t that he disliked being there, but he also wasn’t opposed to the idea of getting a good night’s sleep so that he could decorate his apartment tomorrow. That, and he was admittedly hungry. And going out to a restaurant to eat beat hospital cafeteria food anyday.

The two left Will’s father’s office and headed out of the hospital. They crossed the parking lot and got into his father’s car before driving off into the city.

“Where are you thinking?” Will asked.

“Are you in the mood for anything in particular?” his father asked.

“Not really.”

“Okay, well I, for one, am craving a good old fashioned burger,” his father admitted. Which was funny to Will, because Dr. Apollo was kind of a health nut. But he knew Will wouldn’t turn down a burger, so Will guessed the offer was more for him than for himself.

Will nodded. “I can’t complain about that.”

They pulled up to a late-night restaurant that was close to Will’s apartment. He’d been here a couple of times before with Cecil and Lou Ellen and loved the food. Everything about it was great. The food was delicious, the prices reasonable, and the atmosphere was comfortable enough where he and his father could show up in scrubs, and nobody would bat an eye.

They took their seats at the far end of the restaurant, and soon a waiter came to bring them water and said he’d give them a few minutes to decide what to order. But Will and his father were already decided, so they put in their orders, and the waiter scribbled them down before walking away.

“Thanks for the food, Dad,” Will said. He could feel his stomach beginning to growl in anticipation.

“Of course. I thought we should spend more time together outside of the hospital.”

“I’m seeing you in like two days for Christmas,” Will commented, taking a sip of his water.

“I know, but the world has been weird lately. Hasn’t it?”

Will had a feeling he knew where this was going, but he asked, “What do you mean?”

His father leaned in slightly and lowered his voice. “I wanted to ask you, you haven’t heard from the vampire that escaped at all have you?”

Will paled. His father didn’t know anything, did he? “No. Why?”

“The reporter who wrote the vampire articles went missing two days ago.”

“What?”

The news hasn’t been made public yet, as the authorities are hoping it’s just a coincidence, but they’re taking the precaution of advising anyone who has had contact with the vampire.”

Will knew with certainty that Nico had nothing to do with this. He had no vendetta. He wasn’t out for revenge. It had to be just a coincidence. The reporter would show up soon enough. Will was sure of it.

“Well I haven’t heard anything,” Will said.

“You were the last one to see him, you know.”

“I know.”

“And he  _ does  _ have your name.”

“I know that.”

“I was thinking you should move back home for a while,” his father finally said. “Until they can determine whether or not the vampire is behind this.”

“Dad, I already told you, I’m not moving home,” Will determined.

“I know you’re not a kid anymore, Will, but I still can’t help but be worried.”

“I’m fine, Dad. Really.”

“I just want you to be careful.”

“I will be.”

It wasn’t long after that the waiter returned with their burgers. He set them down in front of them, asking if they needed anything else, and when they declined, the waiter said he hoped they enjoyed their meals and headed off. The conversation between him and his father ended. And as Will picked up his burger to eat, he wondered if he should text Nico and tell him what was going on but decided against it. Nico already had enough to worry about. Will didn’t need to add false accusations onto the list. If Nico knew anything about it and suspected it had anything to do with him, he would tell Will anyways, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 This is the "dads" chapter lol. We finally hear from Hades, and both Dr. Apollo's suspicion and worry are growing. We're halfway there folks! I'll be posting three (3!) chapters tomorrow. I just finished chapter 27 last night and hit 96k words - whew. As always, kudos and comments are appreciated :)


	19. Shadow

-Nico-

On the night before Christmas Eve, Nico sat in his apartment on his couch watching reruns of holiday Hallmark movies. It wasn’t that he particularly cared for Christmas or Christmas movies, but there was nothing else on TV, and he didn’t feel like rewatching one of the movies he had on DVD for the millionth time. He couldn’t invest in a streaming service, since he didn’t have a credit card, so he was stuck with what he could find on cable.

He really only half-paid attention to what was on, his thoughts continuously shifting over to Will. As he watched, he couldn’t help but think of all of the things he wanted to do with Will. The sappy holiday kind of things. Like bake cookies, and make snow angels, and go sledding and ice skating, and sit by a fireplace drinking hot chocolate. But then Nico knew he didn’t actually  _ like  _ any of those things. He couldn’t bake, he hated the cold, he had no experience sledding or ice skating, and he didn’t have much of a sweet tooth. But for some reason, imagining doing all of these things with Will made him want to do them.

“Who am I turning into?” he mumbled under his breath.

But he was more laughing at himself than annoyed.

Then it struck him: did he need to get Will a gift for Christmas? They’d only just started unofficially dating two days ago. Was it even unofficial? He wasn’t sure. But they were dating, right? At least, he didn’t have any intention of seeing anyone else, and he could guess with certainty that Will didn’t either. So they were exclusive. But what did that make them? And even if they  _ were _ dating, was it way too soon to get him a gift? What if Will gave him something, and he had nothing in return? Nico had no idea what to make of this or what to do, so he resorted to texting the only person he could think might know the answer.

Nico:  _ i have a problem _

Hazel:  _ you realize it’s like 2 am where i am right? _

Nico:  _ this is time-sensitive _

Hazel:  _ okay. shoot _

Nico:  _ do i get will a christmas gift or no? _

Hazel:  _ hold up- last we talked you didn’t even know if he ever wanted to see you again _

Nico:  _ oh. i think we’re dating now. maybe  _

Hazel:  _ maybe? how do you not know if you’re dating or not?! didn’t i tell you to CLEAR THINGS UP WITH HIM _

Nico:  _ i did i think? we’re on good terms. i just don’t know what that makes us _

Hazel:  _ do you want to facetime? _

Nico:  _ bold of you to assume i know how to do that _

Hazel:  _ omgs nico you aren’t THAT old _

Nico:  _ i’m ancient. we all can’t be young and spry like you _

Hazel:  _ … i’m gonna call you. just answer when i do _

Nico:  _ okay _

No sooner has he sent his reply than he got an incoming FaceTime call from Hazel. He answered it easily enough.

“Nico!” Hazel cheered. He could see her face. Her brown skin seemed to have a gold-like glow in the light in a way that matched her eyes, and her hair was pulled up into a bun on top of her head.

“Wow, I hate this,” Nico said, staring at himself in the phone screen.

“Don’t be a brat. I miss your face.”

“This is like a phone call but with unnecessary added anxiety.”

“You are  _ so  _ dramatic.” Hazel laughed. “Just think of it as us being in the same room.”

“Can I just turn off the lights and sit in the dark so you can’t see me?”

“No, that defeats the purpose. Now, get over yourself and tell me what’s going on with Will.”

“Fine,” Nico huffed. “So I decided to take your advice to reach out to Will and explain myself two nights ago. He ended up coming over. We had sex. Now I think we’re dating.”

Hazel’s eyes grew wide. “Are you… are you kidding me?”

“Dead serious.”

“Nico! You can’t just… solve all of your problems with sex?!”

“You say that, but it worked.”

“If I was really there right now I would smack you upside the head.”

Nico snorted. “Thankfully you’re half a world away.”

Hazel rolled her eyes. “Okay, well, did you at least  _ talk  _ about anything?”

“Of course, I’m not an animal, you know. I told him I was sorry about what I said about seeing him as a blood source and that I liked him. And he told me he liked me. And  _ then _ we had sex. And then the next morning, he reiterated that he liked me and wanted to try to figure things out, and then we got breakfast and made plans for me to meet his friends on New Years. We’ve been texting since. And now I’m going to his apartment for Christmas.”

“Well, it sounds like you’re dating to me.”

Nico hummed. “So I have a boyfriend, then?”

Hazel looked at him as though he were stupid. “You’d have to clear that up with him. Dating does not automatically equate to significant other.”

Nico groaned. “Well now I  _ definitely  _ don’t know what to do about Christmas.”

“You could ask him.”

“No, I’d look like an idiot if I did that.”

“You’re a vampire dating a human. You already look like an idiot.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. 

“Well,” Hazel brushed him off. She paused, thinking it over. “I think it might be too soon for the whole gift-giving thing, but maybe do a small but meaningful gesture. That way if he gets you something, you’re not completely caught off guard. But if it’s just a gesture, it won’t be a big enough deal to make him feel awkward if he doesn’t get you anything.”

“What would I do without you?”

“I know what I’d do without you, and that’s sleep.”

“Fuck, sorry. I know it’s late there.”

“It’s okay. I’m only teasing you.”

Nico laughed. “You’re right. It’s late. You go back to sleep. I’ll talk to you later.

“Alright. Goodnight, Nico. It was good seeing you.”

“You, too. Bye, Hazel.”

The call disconnected, and Nico dropped his phone to his lap. Something small and meaningful. He thought it over. Nothing was coming to him off the top of his head, but he was sure he’d come up with something.

Anything for Will.

Despite what Hazel had told him, Nico realized he didn’t want to show up  _ completely  _ empty handed, so he figured he should probably bring something to Will’s. The only idea he could come up with was alcohol. It’d be weird if he brought food, since he didn’t eat, and if he brought anything else, it would be a gift, but alcohol was the only thing they could share, so Nico didn’t need to feel weird about it. He’d just hoped Will didn’t think he had a drinking problem. Well, he did, but the problem he had was more to do with blood than with booze.

There was a 24 hour liquor store that was a few blocks away from his apartment. Nico looked it up on his phone to see they were still open for another hour but that they would still be closed tomorrow for the holiday. Nico rushed to get ready and headed out the door. He got into his car and began driving toward the liquor store.

He parked the car down the street because all of the spaces in front of the store were busy. There was no one else around this late at night, aside from one person who was across the street, staring at him. Whoever it was, they were too far away for Nico to get a look at their face.  _ That’s odd _ , Nico thought. But the city was filled with oddities, so he didn’t think much of it.

Once he was inside, he was greeted by the cashier, who looked pleased and without a care in the world that she was working the late night shift the night before Christmas Eve. Nico gave her a smile and wandered through the store. As he walked up and down the aisles, eyeing different bottles, he decided he would settle for some wine. He didn’t want to show up to Will’s with hard liquor as if he were a college student looking for the next party. And wine was more… romantic? He huffed under his breath as the thought crossed his mind.

Nico searched over the bottles before his eyes fell on the same brand he and Will had drank at the Lotus Hotel. Will seemed to really enjoy the bottles they’d shared there, so he decided choosing it again would be his best bet. He grabbed one of the bottles off the shelf, wondering if he should take two. But he reminded himself that he didn’t want to give Will the impression that he had an alcohol problem, so he went with just the one.

He brought the bottle up to the cash register. The cashier asked for his ID, which he handed over, and even though it was fake, it was still a picture of him, and she didn’t seem to notice. She scanned the bottle and let him know the price. Nico paid in cash, and she printed the receipt and tucked the bottle into a paper bag for him.

“Merry Christmas!” the cashier wished him.

“Thanks, you too.” He grinned.

Nico took the paper bag with the wine inside and headed out the door. He started down the street in the direction of his car when he heard a movement from behind. He whipped around and saw a shadow duck into the nearest alleyway. Nico froze. What was that? He didn’t know whether he should keep going toward his car or try and figure out what it was he just saw. Was he being followed? He started to panic. The scientists hadn’t located him again, had they? As he approached the alleyway, he told himself it  _ couldn’t _ be the bounty hunters. They would have pulled out their tranquilizer guns, not ran away. So who was it?

Hands trembled, Nico stepped into the alleyway. He looked around. Dark shadows dropped into the space between the buildings. He squinted and took a step forward. He thought to call out, but his voice caught in his throat. His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he scanned the area.

No one was there. He didn’t know why he was being paranoid, but he couldn’t shake the feeling. Nico turned on his heel, and he moved to his car at a half-jog, climbed inside, and slammed the door closed behind him. He immediately hit the locks. He took a moment to get control over his heavy breathing before putting his car into drive and taking off.

_ Maybe it was nothing _ , he told himself.

He just hoped he could think the words into fruition.

  
  
  


-Will-

Will woke up early on Christmas Eve. There was a lot he needed to get done today. Not only did he have to scrub his whole apartment clean, but he had to go shopping. He had absolutely no Christmas decorations. He knew it was a long shot, but he decided to text Cecil and Lou Ellen in their group chat.

Will:  _ merry almost christmas! what’s the chance either of you are free today? _

Cecil:  _ i’ve got nothing go on, why? are you trying to get drunk? _

Lou Ellen:  _ i’m free _ _  
_ _  
_ Will:  _ no, i need to go shopping for christmas decorations and wanted to see if you guys would come with me. I have no idea what i’m doing  _

Cecil:  _ YOU’RE THROWING A CHRISTMAS PARTY AND DIDN’T INVITE ME?! _

Lou Ellen:  _ ^^^ _

Will:  _ nooo, it’s not that. nico is coming over to my apartment for christmas tomorrow _

Lou Ellen:  _ WHAT _

Cecil: YEAH!  _ WHAT _

Lou Ellen:  _ don’t you think it’s too soon? i mean, are you even dating? _

Cecil:  _ this is like cecil-level dumbness of you, will _

Will:  _ idk what i’m doing… please help me? _

Lou Ellen:  _ you’re lucky we love you _

Cecil:  _ lou, come get me! and then we can go get will _

Lou Ellen:  _ omgs fine. give me thirty. i need to shower  _

Cecil:  _ okay stinky :P _ __  
_  
_ Lou Ellen:  __ … scratch that. you can just stand in the middle of the road, and i’ll run you over

Will:  _ thank you both so much. i don’t know what i’d do without you _

Lou:  _ mhm. i’ll text you both when i’m there _

Will decided he wouldn’t bother showering until after he was done cleaning and setting everything up. He didn’t want to clean off just to work up a sweat again. He changed out of his pajamas and into a sweatshirt and jeans, then ended up walking around his apartment, haphazardly putting things away and cleaning up until Lou Ellen arrived. When she did, she texted him that she was there, and Will didn’t take long to put on his jacket and boots and head downstairs. He climbed into Lou Ellen’s car in the back seat.

“You guys are the best,” Will said, closing the door behind him.

“We know,” Lou Ellen turned around, smirking.

She started driving and asked Will where he wanted to go. They talked about it for about half a minute, before the three of them agreed they should probably go head to the outskirts of the city, where they could hit a larger store for cheaper prices, rather than going to a cute, but expensive boutique. It was about a twenty minute drive on the highway, but Lou Ellen didn’t complain, and Will could not be more grateful for her.

He knew she wasn’t much of a fan of Nico based on what she knew about him, but she was still able and willing to help Will regardless. She was a good friend. Reliable. And he had Cecil to thank, too. Even though he wasn’t as level-headed as Lou Ellen, he’d agreed to come nonetheless, offering his support wherever Will had asked for it. He was lucky to have them.

When they got to the store, Lou Ellen parked the car, and the three of them headed inside. Will grabbed a cart, and they wandered around, somewhat aimlessly, until they found the aisles with all of the decorations. Will’s cart filled up quickly. They grabbed boxes of string lights, garland, figurines of snowmen and reindeer and nutcrackers, a small fake tree and a box of ornaments. Lou Ellen picked out snowflake lights that she thought were cute, and Cecil chose some overly festive stockings and a Santa doll that danced when you pressed a button on his boot. Will knew it was going above his budget, but tomorrow was going to be special, so he decided he didn’t care.

“Okay, I think that’s enough,” Will said, looking the cart over.

“But we didn’t even get the most important thing yet!” Cecil said.

Will looked at him, confused. “What’s that?”

Cecil reached over and grabbed something off the shelf.

“The mistletoe,” Cecil laughed, dangling it above Will’s head.

Will felt himself turn red. “That’s so cheesy.”

“ _ Everything _ about Christmas is cheesy. That’s why people like it.”

“Fine,” Will resolved. “Put it in the cart.”

“Oh, and you should probably get snacks, too!” Lou Ellen said, guiding the cart over toward the grocery section of the store.

“No, that’s okay,” Will stopped her. He couldn’t exactly tell her that Nico didn’t eat. “I’ll be coming straight from my dad’s dinner, and Nico’s probably going to eat before he comes anyways.”

“But still, you should probably have something to eat.”

“I have stuff at home. I’m going to go broke at this rate, Lou.”

“Suit yourself.” She shrugged.

The three of them headed out of the holiday section of the store, and maneuvered the very full cart down one of the main aisles. They were passing the toiletry section, when Cecil put his hand on the cart, stopping them.

“Will, bro,” he said. “Do you need condoms?”

Will definitely couldn’t stop the flood of embarrassment from flooding his cheeks. He didn’t even think of that, and he did  _ not  _ want to buy condoms with his two best friends.

“I’ll take care of that on my own time,” Will said.

“Will, wait,  _ what? _ ” Lou Ellen added. “You’re  _ sleeping  _ with him?”

Will wanted to die if for no other reason than to get out of this conversation. “Only once.”

“Duh, Lou,” Cecil added, “why else would he invite Nico over for Christmas?”

“Oh my gods,” she commented.

“Guys, please,” Will tried to put an end to their conversation. “Let’s just go pay for all of this and leave.”

His friends agreed, but Will couldn’t help but notice the  _ look _ in Lou Ellen’s eyes. And he knew exactly what she was thinking. She was thinking he was an idiot. And she was probably right. They both knew that he’d never had sex before, and now he just confessed to his two best friends that he finally did it with someone he’d just met. Someone he’d only just started dating. But Will couldn’t help it. He liked Nico. He wanted to be with him. He told himself it was nothing to be embarrassed about, regardless of what his friends thought.

They waited in line for about fifteen minutes before they finally reached the front. The cashier looked less than thrilled to be working, and he didn’t hide the judgment in his eyes that looked to be saying “Really? You’re going Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve?” Will did his best to ignore it, not bothering to engage in any small-talk conversation with the cashier, before finally paying for everything and heading out of the store with his cart and friends in tow.

They drove back to Will’s apartment and helped him carry everything upstairs. It took a few trips, but his friends didn’t complain. He really did owe them one. And then they started helping him unpack. Will told him they really didn’t need to, that he could handle it himself, but Lou Ellen said that they were already here, so they might as well help him decorate. He thanked them about a thousand times over.

Will spent the afternoon cleaning everything while Cecil and Lou Ellen did the decorating. He didn’t want to subject them to the boring stuff, and besides, they both seemed to enjoy hanging things up and finding places for others. When Will finished cleaning, he joined them in hanging the string lights along the ceiling. His walls were otherwise quite bare, so they looked nice. And when they finished, they plugged the lights in, and the living room and kitchen area were both taken over in a colorful glow. By the time they’d finished, Will wondered if he went a little overboard, but then he took a step back to get a full view of it, and it looked beautiful.

Cecil sifted through Will’s fridge, pulling out some beers, and they all sat down on the couch to crack them open and celebrate a job well done.

“You guys are amazing,” Will said, raising his can.

“Cheers!” they both said in unison, tapping their cans together.

“You must really like this guy,” Lou Ellen remarked before taking a sip of her beer.

“I do,” Will agreed.

“Especially if you lost your virginity to him,” she added, pointedly.

Okay, so Lou Ellen was not going to let that one go.

“Yeah, Will, when were you gonna tell us?” Cecil asked.

“Eventually…” Will trailed off. “Maybe like, after you met him, so you can know him for him instead of what I just tell you about him.”

“Oh, are we going to meet him soon then?” she asked.

“I may have invited him to join us for New Years.”

Cecil hollered his amusement, and Lou Ellen raised a brow. It wasn’t quite a judgmental gesture. More like surprised.

“Is he actually going to come this time?” Cecil asked.

“I hope so,” Will said. “He sounded like he wanted to.”

“Good!”

The three finished their drinks and talked for a little while longer before it started getting late, and Lou Ellen said she needed to go to her family’s house for a Christmas Eve dinner. Cecil asked her for a ride back to his apartment, to which she agreed. Will saw them out, thanking them again for all of their help today, before deciding he should probably go back out to get something for Nico and himself something to drink tomorrow.

He searched his phone for liquor stores that were still open before finding one that was within walking distance of his apartment. On his way out the door, Will received a call from his father. They talked for a bit on the phone, but the conversation was relatively short. His father just relayed the details of Christmas dinner and who would be coming and what he should wear. Will expressed his understanding and assured his father that he would be there on time, dressed appropriately.

Just as Will was ready to hang up, his father asked, once again, if he’d seen or heard from the vampire. Will rolled his eyes and said no. His father reminded him that the reporter was still missing, so he should be extra careful until things were resolved. Will insisted he would be before finally hanging up. As Will walked to the liquor store, he wondered if he should bring up the missing reporter incident to Nico. He felt bad keeping a secret. But he also didn’t want to come off as though he were accusing Nico of anything or that he had any suspicion that Nico was aware or had some type of idea what was going on. It also was going to be their first Christmas together, and Will didn’t want to ruin it by dwelling on something that probably had nothing to do with Nico. He decided he would wait until after Christmas before bringing it up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 Ugh! I just love Hazel, Cecil, and Lou Ellen. Nico and Will are lucky to have such good friends. Drop your guesses below on what you think Nico's small and meaningful gesture to Will is going to be. It took me like TWO DAYS to figure out the the hell he was gonna do. As always, kudos are comments are appreciated :)


	20. Christmas

-Nico-

Nico woke up unusually early on Christmas morning. It made him feel like a child, but he was  _ excited.  _ Excited to see Will, and excited to practice his “small and meaningful” gesture that Hazel had suggested. He rolled out of bed at nine in the morning and checked his phone. He didn’t have any text, so he figured Will was still sleeping. He didn’t mind though. It was nice to be the one to text first sometimes.

Nico:  _ merry christmas will :) _

Assuming Will was still sleeping and not worried about getting a text back right away, Nico decided to get ready for the day. He walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door. He hadn’t had a blood bag in a couple of days, and if he wanted tonight to be perfect, he wanted to have as much control over everything as he could. He took out one of the bags and warmed it up in the microwave. When the timer beeped and it was ready, he poured the bag out into a cup and started to drink it slowly.

He figured he should probably bring a blood bag to Will’s apartment later. Just in case. Will really had brought him a lot, more than he needed, so it was okay to spare one. He doubted he would need it as he really should have a clear head, but it didn’t hurt to bring one, and he definitely would rather be over prepared than underprepared. When he finished his drink, he washed it glass out in the sink and put it away. Next, he grabbed his book bag and packed the bottle of wine inside and set it near the fridge. That way he would remember to grab the blood bag on the way out of the door.

Without much else to do, he decided to take a shower and get ready for the day. He turned on the water, stripped down, and got into the shower. As he washed, Nico’s thoughts turned to what happened the other night when he sensed he was being followed. He wondered if he should tell Will about it. He didn’t know for a fact that he was being followed, and the more he thought about it, the more he wondered if the whole thing was a trick of the eye mixed with bad paranoia. After what happened to him being captured, it made sense that he would get panicky, after all. He decided it was probably nothing, and he didn’t want to worry Will by bringing up anxieties that couldn’t even be proven.

By the time he’d finished washing, dried off, and ready, he looked at his phone to see that Will had texted him back.

Will:  _ merry christmas to you too nico :) i’m surprised you’re up this early hahah _

Nico:  _ me too, i guess i just can’t wait to see you later _

Will:  _ me neither. i’m headed to my dad’s soon, and we’re having dinner around 5. so i should be home by 7. i’ll text you when i’m home for you to come over _

Nico:  _ sounds great. i’ll see you later then _

Will:  _ see ya! _

Nico headed back over to his room where he stared at his closet for a long time. Black. Black. And more black. He didn’t have anything festive or Christmas-y to wear. Not that he’d be the type to put on an ugly Christmas sweater just for laughs, but he wondered if he should have at least bought  _ something  _ with color. Well, it was too late now, he supposed. He decided to take out his phone and text Hazel for advice.

Nico:  _ should i wear jeans to will’s or pants? _

Hazel:  _ merry christmas to you too, loser  _

Nico:  _ oops. i’m sorry. merry christmas hazel! _

Hazel:  _ wow, that seemed really heartfelt. i’m touched _

Nico:  _ you know i love you _

Hazel:  _ hahah i know. and to answer your question, just wear nice jeans. it’s the 21st century neeks, nobody really dresses up for christmas anymore _

Nico was more than pleased to see that was her response. He was more comfortable in jeans anyways. He put on a pair of boxers and socks then dug through his dresser drawers until he found the black jeans he was looking for. They were newer, so they weren’t and faded as the others, and they were tight enough that they looked good without being overly tight. He walked back over to his closet where he sifted through his clothes until he found a black sweater that he’d completely forgot he’d even had. He didn’t think he ever wore it before. He slipped it on over his head and went to the bathroom to look at himself in the mirror. He looked good, he thought. Not festive in the slightest, but good at least. Nico took out his phone and sent Hazel a follow up text.

Nico:  _ good call. facetime me? i wanna show you something _

Hazel:  _ woah and here i thought i scarred you after last time i made you facetime _

Nico:  _ i’m trying to step out of my comfort zone. just call me, i don’t know how to do it yet. _

Shortly after, he received an incoming call from Hazel. He answered his phone all smiles. She was wearing a pretty sweater with festive patterns on it and a quote that said “On The Naughty List.” Nico couldn’t help but laugh reading it. Honestly, it reminded him of something Jason would wear, but he tried not to dwell on him. He had plenty to look forward to today.

“I like your sweater, Hazel”

She beamed, her golden eyes lighting up. “Me, too. I was dying when I saw it and knew I just had to buy it.”

“It suits you well.”

“What about you?” she asked. “What are you wearing for your date tonight?”

“This,” Nico said, tilting the camera down so she could see his outfit. “What do you think?”

“Very… European of you.”

“Is that your way of saying it’s too black?”

Hazel laughed. “Only slightly. But I wouldn’t expect anything else from you, and I’m sure Will wouldn’t either. So, what is it you have to show me?”

Nico walked out into the living room. “One second.”

He set his phone down, kind of nervous now. He wanted to wait to do this for Will, but he also wanted to make sure it was good. That, and the more he practiced, the less nervous he actually would be when it came to Will. Nico took a deep breath and showed Hazel what he’d come up with for a small and meaningful gesture. When he’d finished, he looked to her with nothing but nerves.

“What do you think?” he asked.

“It’s perfect,” she said sincerely. “He’s going to love it.”

Nico felt relief. “Okay, good, I was working on it all day yesterday.”

“It paid off, for sure,” she insisted. “Anyways, I do have to go now, I’m going to my friend’s place a little bit early, and then we’re going out to the club later.”

“Clubs?” Nico asked. “On Christmas?”

“Right?” she beamed. “I love Greece. You  _ have  _ to come visit me soon.”

Nico smiled. “Sure thing, Hazel. Have fun tonight and be safe.”

“You, too, Neeks.”

Their call ended after that. Nico spent the rest of his day waiting around for Will to text him. He watched a couple more Christmas movies, and could admit, they did hit different when he actually had something to be excited about this year. He practiced what he was going to do for Will later a few more times, and then a few more times after that, before he was certain he’d absolutely perfected it.

Just before seven, his phone started ringing, and Nico was happy to see it was a call rather than a text. He picked up, excitedly.

“Hey, Will,” he answered.

“Hey, Nico. I just got back to my apartment.”

“Do you want me to come over now then?” he asked.

“I’m ready when you are.”

“Okay, I’ll leave in five.”

“Call or text me when you get here, and I’ll let you in.”

They said goodbye to each other and hung up. Nico made his way over to the bathroom to brush his teeth and fix his hair up a little. He looked at himself one last time in the mirror, knowing it was too late to do anything about his European outfit, as Hazel had called it, anyways, and went into the kitchen. He packed one of the blood bags away in his bag, hoisted it up over his shoulder, and moved to the door where he put on his jacket and boots. Grabbing his wallet and keys, Nico headed out the door.

It didn’t take him very long to get to Will’s. Not only did Will live close, but there wasn’t very much traffic on the road at this time. It seemed everyone in the city was where they needed to be for the holidays, and it made Nico’s heart warm to know he would be, too. He parked his car in front of Will’s apartment and called him to let the other know he had arrived.

By the time he got out of his car and walked up the steps to Will’s apartment building, Will was already at the door. He let Nico inside and immediately pulled him into a hug.

“Hey, Nico,” Will said, happily. “Merry Christmas.”

“Hi, Will. Merry Christmas.” Nico looked up at him. “Thank you for inviting me over.”

“Of course. I’m happy you came.” Then Will bent down and gave Nico a small kiss on the lips. “Let’s go up to my apartment.”

Nico nodded, and Will let go of him. He followed Will up the steps to his apartment. When Will opened the door, his eyes were overtaken by the colors of Christmas lights. Christmas music played over the speakers, and the room smelled of gingerbread and vanilla. Nico looked around in awe. Will had really outdone himself. The place was  _ beautiful _ . It looked like he was stepping inside of a Christmas movie.

“I hope I didn’t take the whole Christmas thing too far,” Will said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.

“Will, this looks amazing!” Nico said. “It’s perfect. Better than anything I would’ve been able to do.”

“Well, I did have a little help. Cecil and Lou Ellen were here yesterday helping me put it all together.”

“Wow. You’re definitely lucky to have them.”

“I know, and I told them as much about a hundred times.”

Nico set his bag on the ground. He took off his boots and his jacket, hanging it up on the coat rack along with Will’s stuff.

“Not to be a total mood killer,” Nico said, “but I sort of brought a blood bag in case I needed one. Do you mind if I put it in your fridge?”

“Not at all,” Will reassured him. “How are you feeling, by the way?”

“Better than I was. That’s for sure,” Nico lifted his bag up and carried it into Will’s kitchen. He unzipped it, pulled out the blood bag, and set it on a shelf inside the fridge. “Thank you for not making this awkward.”

“You know I understand. And if anything, I’m glad you brought one. Better to be safe than sorry, right?”

Nico closed the fridge and smiled. “Right.”

He turned and reached back inside of his bag. “On a lighter note, I also brought some wine.”

He took out the bottle and handed it over to Will. Will looked it over and then started laughing.

“What?” Nico asked, worriedly. “Why are you laughing?”

Will smiled at him, his blue eyes round with amusement. “I went out and bought the same bottle.”

It was Nico’s turn to laugh. “Did you really?”

“I was trying to think of something you liked!” Will confessed. He walked over to the other side of the kitchen, opened one of the cabinets, and pulled out a bottle that was identical to the one he was holding. “See?”

“Wow,” Nico mused. “At least we both had the same train of thought.”

“Great minds think alike,” Will quoted. “Do you want a glass now?”

“Sure.”

So Will set both of the bottles down and reached inside another cabinet to the top shelf. When he did so, his sweater slightly rode up, revealing a sliver of his stomach. Nico knew better than to be checking Will out like this, but Will was just so damn good looking, and Nico felt he was hardly to blame. Who else could look away with an angel standing there right in front of them? Will turned around of him, spotting Nico staring and immediately grinned. He turned to Nico with two wine glasses in his hand.

“Were you just checking me out?”

Nico shrugged. “Maybe I was just admiring your Christmas sweater.”

“Sounds like you’re lying,” Will teased.

“Only a little,” Nico admitted.

Will opened one of the bottles and started pouring the wine into the glasses. This time, he actually did take a moment to look at what Will was wearing. It was a cotton knit sweater, red and white, with snowflake prints on it. It was the perfect amount of Christmas, without being too over the top.

“It really is a nice sweater,” Nico continued.

Will turned to him, walked over, and handed him a glass. “Thank you.”

“I feel underdressed now.”

“You look great,” Will commented. “As always.”

“I look like I’m about to parade around to ‘Siegfried’s Funeral March,’” Nico frowned, taking a sip of his wine.

Will just laughed. “If you’re feeling that bad about it, I could give you something that might cheer you up.”

Nico looked at him confused. “What?”

“Go wait in the living room. I’ll be right back.”

So Nico walked over to the living room with his wine glass and sat on Will’s couch as Will walked into his bedroom. He wondered what Will was going to give him, and then suddenly hoped it wasn’t a Christmas gift, because then he would really feel empty handed. But when Will returned with something in his hand, Nico realized that was very much not the case, and he didn’t know whether he should laugh or completely resist.

Will set his wine glass down on the coffee table, lifting up the Santa hat he was holding. He opened it up and fixed it on top of Nico’s head.

“Oh no,” Nico attempted to sound annoyed, but it definitely came out as a chuckle.

Will started laughing. “You look like a little elf,” he mused.

Nico pouted. “I’m not little.”

“You are to me,” Will laughed again. Then he placed his hands on Nico’s cheeks and leaned forward to give him a kiss. Nico didn’t hesitate to kiss him right back. If Will wanted him to wear this stupid Santa hat and call him an elf, then who was he to say no? Certainly not him, and certainly not while Will was kissing him. Nico started laughing at himself, and really the whole situation entirely, and Will pulled back.

“What are you laughing over?”

“I don’t know,” Nico said. “Me. You. Everything.”

Will smiled. He sat down beside Nico and reached back over for his wine before taking a sip. Nico confessed how nervous he was as this was the first Christmas he was celebrating in years, and Will admitted he was equally as nervous because he’d never had anyone over for the holidays before. They started talking about everything that had happened to them the last few days. Will told him about his shadowing at the hospital, which he said was relatively boring, and then skipped forward to how Cecil and Lou Ellen helped him prepare everything for the night.

And when Nico told Will about his last few days, he skipped over the part about his letter from Hades and the thing about feeling as though he was being followed. Right here and now, he was too happy to be with Will than to worry about vampire things and something that might not even have happened. He told him all about his conversations with Hazel and how she was basically the light guiding him through this whole thing.

It didn’t take them long to finish the first bottle.

“So what is this _small and meaningful_ _gesture_ you’ve prepared?” Will teased.

Nico looked embarrassed for a moment, but it was quickly fleeting.

“You have a guitar, right, Will?” Nico asked.

“Yeah, it’s in my room. Why?”

“I wanted to play something for you.”

“Oh, really?” Will looked at him. “Okay, I’ll go get it.”

Nico could feel his heart racing at Will stood up again and walked over to his room. He’d practiced a lot yesterday and today, and hoped it sounded good. He hoped it was the perfect small and meaningful gesture and that Hazel wasn’t just amusing him. And gods, he really hoped Will didn’t think it was lame.

  
  


-Will-

Will returned to the living room with his acoustic guitar. Nico looked nervous. And Will suddenly felt bad if Nico felt he was obligated to play him something. He did say on their first date at the Lotus Hotel that he wanted to hear Nico play, but he definitely didn’t want Nico to feel pressured. But he’d asked for Will’s guitar, so he probably wanted to, right?

Will handed him his guitar and sat down beside him. He reached for his phone and paused the Christmas music that was playing over his speaker. Nico scooched over just the slightest bit to give himself more room and hand his thumbs over the strings.

“I’ve been practicing on electric,” Nico told him. “So I hope it doesn’t sound awkward.”

“I’m sure it’s going to sound great,” Will reassured him. “And please don’t feel like you have to play me something if you don’t want to.”

“No, I do,” Nico said. “I’m just a little nervous I guess. I don’t ever play in front of anyone. Except for Hazel this morning.”

“I feel honored then.” Will smiled and took a sip from his wine glass.

“Okay,” Nico said. He cleared his throat and fixed his left hand over the fretboard. “Here it goes then.”

He started out with a chord that Will didn’t know how to play, and already Will felt that Nico was more advanced at the guitar than he was. He was impressed by the smooth sound that came from his guitar, and knowing that Nico didn’t even play acoustic just impressed him more. Nico started playing a few more chords, and Will recognized the familiarity of the song but couldn’t quite think of it at the top of his head. He didn’t mind, smiling nonetheless, just enjoying listening to Nico play, but then Nico opened his mouth and started singing.

“The moon is right,” Nico started. “The spirits up. We’re here tonight. And that’s enough.”

Then Will immediately recognized the song, and his smile stretched even bigger. Nico had apparently remembered the one small comment he’d made about liking The Beatles, and had chosen to play a song by Paul McCartney. And Nico’s voice was  _ beautiful _ . It was the perfect balance of soft but strong with a slight vibrato to it. He could tell that Nico was nervous at first, but the more he continued to play and the more he sang, the more comfortable he became. It took Will all of his willpower not to rip the guitar out of his hands and start kissing him profusely. But listening to Nico play was just as enjoyable.

When Nico got through the first chorus and another verse, he started strumming more chords. He looked up to Will and smiled, somewhat embarrassed.

“Should I keep going or am I making a fool of myself?”

Will grinned. “You’re amazing. Please keep playing.”

So Nico did so, and the next time the chorus rolled around again, Will started singing right along with Nico. He knew he didn’t sound half as good as the other, but he was happy and wanted Nico to feel comfortable playing. Nico chuckled as he kept singing.

“Simply having a wonderful Christmas time!” they sang together. “Simply having a wonderful Christmas time!”

Then Will started tapping his foot to the beat, and the two of them continued to play the song, singing and laughing until neither of them could contain their laughter anymore, and the song faded out into a very tone-deaf Will just repeating “ding, dong, ding dong,” over and over. Nico started strumming chaotically with improved notes that sounded way too good to just be improv, and Will had to set his wine glass down to keep from doubling over and spilling it all over his sweater. And soon enough, both of them were red from laughter and struggling to catch their breaths. Nico set the guitar down to rest on the ground against the couch, and Will didn’t wait another second before nearly hopping on Nico and catching him in a flurry of kisses.

“How are you so talented?” Will said.

“I’m not  _ that _ good,” Nico chuckled. “It really isn’t that hard to play.”

“No way! You sounded like a total rockstar.”

Nico started laughing all over again, and seeing the way his dark eyes lit up and the smile that crossed over his face was just too much for Will to handle. He pushed Nico down onto the couch, pressing their lips together. He accidentally knocked the guitar over, too, as he did so, and it let out a small sound of acoustic notes, but Will didn’t care. With Nico under him, lit up like the sky, Will couldn’t bring himself to think of anything other than how badly he wanted to kiss him.

Nico’s lips tasted of wine, and Will relished in the feeling. His head was slightly tipsy, and he was glad they hadn’t started on the second bottle, because he didn’t want to ruin this all by drinking too much. Will kissed him deeply for a moment before withdrawing and kissing him again. They kept on like that, unsure if they wanted to go fast or slow, and switching back and forth trying to figure it out. When Will was overwhelmed with kissing him, he moved to bite Nico’s bottom lip, and Nico gasped. Will took advantage of the part in Nico’s lips and slipped his tongue inside. Their tongues moved along one another in perfect sync, tasting and exploring each other’s mouths.

After a moment, Nico pushed himself up onto his elbows.

“Can I take the Santa hat off now?” Nico said, his voice soft as he caught his breath.

“Mhm,” Will said, pushing their lips back together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 And MERRY FLIPPING CHRISTMAS! How exciting that I get to post a Christmas chapter on Christmas Eve?! And the song Nico played for Will is "Wonderful Christmastime" by Paul McCartney and Wings. This chapter took me soooo long to write. Fluff is not entirely my strong suit, but I hope you enjoyed it! Consider kudos and comments to be like giving me a Christmas present ;)


	21. Desire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning* This chapter is just straight smut. Please skip if this is something you are uncomfortable reading. I will add notes at the bottom of the page with a summary of anything "important," so you don't feel as though you missed something.

-Nico-

Nico ripped off the Santa hat, tossing it on the ground, and sat up to kiss Will even more. Will’s hands were quick to find their way into his hair, knitting his fingers through it and giving it a gentle tug of greed. Nico gasped, thoroughly enjoying the feeling. He was just as eager to have Will, and he grabbed onto Will’s waist, pulling him closer toward him. He could feel the smile on Will’s lips as he did so, and he chuckled under his breath before continuing to kiss him.

Nico slid his hands up under Will’s sweater before quickly deciding it was enough, and pulling it off entirely.

“Let’s go to my room,” Will suggested.

“Gladly.”

Will stood up and started toward his room. Nico pushed himself to his feet and started following, taking in the way the colors of the string lights illuminated the skin of Will’s back in a glow. His shoulders were strong and perfectly toned, and his skin was smooth and curved with the arch of his back. Above Will, Nico noticed there was a mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. Nico grinned. If Will wanted a kiss, Nico would do him one better. Nico rushed forward, wrapping his arms around Will from behind and pressed his lips to Will’s shoulder blades. Will stilled and shuddered, and Nico could feel the goosebumps rising under his skin beneath his lips.

Nico reached around, quickly and skillfully undoing the button of Will’s jeans. He slipped his hand inside under his boxers and started to massage him gently while continuing to press kisses into his back. Will’s knees slightly buckled beneath him as his cock hardened in Nico’s hand. Nico wrapped his fingers around Will’s shaft, moving them up and down and pressing his thumb teasingly against his head.

Nico used his other hand to run along Will’s abs. He traced the curves of his muscles, loving the way they flexed beneath his skin. Nico followed the movements of Will’s body before reaching upward and giving his nipple a gentle squeeze. Will’s cocked twitched in his hand, and Nico gave another squeeze of his nipple and planted a satisfied kiss on his skin.

Then Nico pressed his hips to Will’s ass to feel the pressure of his own growing arousal. He continued to feel Will up with his hands until Will was struggling to stand altogether, before taking a step forward and guiding Will to move. He pushed Will up against the wall in the living room, and Will pushed his hips back ever so slightly to give Nico’s hand more room to work him over.

After a minute, Nico withdrew his hand, which prompted a slight whimper to escape Will’s mouth. He flipped Will around, pushing him back against the wall. He pushed himself up onto his toes and started kissing Will on the lips with feverish desire.

“You still want to go to the bedroom?” Nico asked, playfully.

“Yeah,” Will answered, his voice weak.

Nico grinned and raised a brow. “And what would you like me to do to you in there?”

Will swallowed. “Everything.”

Nico kissed him again, drawing it out slowly. “You’re going to have to be more specific than that, Will Solace.”

“Oh gods, Nico,” Will groaned. “I have no idea how to dirty talk.”

Seeing the embarrassed and quite flustered expression on Will’s face made him laugh. “Why are you so cute?”

That comment made Will turn even more red. “I don’t want to be cute. I want you to think I’m hot and sexy.”

“Come here,” Nico said, pulling him in for another kiss. “Now get your hot and sexy ass into the bedroom before I have to drag you.”

Will didn’t waste another moment. He picked himself up off the wall and headed straight to the bedroom. Nico followed him inside and closed the door behind them. Without the string lights, the room was dark except for the moonlight that came in through the window. Will sat down on the bed and held his arms out. Nico walked into them, and Will pulled him down right on top of him.

No sooner was Nico on top of Will than Will rolled Nico onto his back with him on top. He started kissing Nico again while eagerly working to undo the button of his jeans. Nico liked seeing Will like this. Excited and taking a bit of control. Nico raised his hips and helped Will slide everything off. Nico was about to strip Will down, too, when Will grabbed a hold of his cock and started to move his hand along his shaft. Nico sat back on his elbows, letting Will do what he wanted.

He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of Will’s hands on him, and he could feel himself getting hotter and harder with every passing second. Then Nico felt Will’s tongue run up slowly along his shaft, and he nearly jolted, his eyes snapping open.

“Uh, Will,” Nico started, hesitantly. “You don’t have to do that.”

Will looked up at him confused, Nico’s cock still in his hand. He paused for a moment.

“What do you mean?” Will asked.

Nico could feel as his face flush. “Well, I can’t exactly… go down on you… because if something were to happen with my fangs…” His voice trailed off for a moment before starting again. “I just imagine that would really hurt.”

Will looked up and smiled without a care in the world. He stood up and kissed Nico.

“Don’t worry about it,” Will reassured him, giving him another kiss. “You don’t have to go down on me. But I still want to do this for you.”

Nico swallowed and nodded. He felt sort of guilty not being able to give Will the same type of pleasure. But if Will was sure and if he wanted to, he wasn’t going to complain.

Nico sat back once more, and Will positioned himself back on the floor, where he continued to run his hand up and down Nico’s shaft. It didn’t take him very long to get unbearably hard again. He felt the wet softness of Will’s tongue on him once more, giving him slow licks before flicking his tongue on his head. Nico’s eyes fell closed, and his lips slightly parted. As Will continued and he couldn’t take the teasing any longer, he lifted his hips up with a soft moan of Will’s name.

Will must’ve taken it as his cue to continue, because the next thing Nico knew, Will’s lips were fastened around the head of his cock. Nico drew his hips upward once more, pushing himself further into Will’s mouth. Will took him in with ease. He began sucking on Nico’s head, moving his tongue over and around it, while beginning to pump Nico’s shaft with his hand. Nico felt as the heat and desire built in the wetness of Will’s mouth, and suddenly Will took him in even deeper.

Nico’s breath hitched in his throat, and his hips started moving along in rhythm with the bobbing of Will’s head. He knotted his fingers through the curls of Will’s hair. And soon, the feeling was too hot and too great, and Nico’s knees began to tremble.

“Will…” Nico spoke. “I’m really close.”

Will slowly withdrew, giving Nico one last hard suck as he did so before looking up at Nico. Nico reached forward and grabbed Will by his biceps, pulling him up on the bed with him. Their lips found each other once more, and between kisses, he managed to strip Will down.

  
  
  


-Will-

Once Nico had finished tearing what remained of Will’s clothes off, he pushed Will down on the bed onto his back. Nico climbed on top of Will, kissing him feverishly. Will grabbed Nico’s ass and pulled him down onto his hips as he pushed upward against Nico. Nico smiled against his lips before pushing himself up and moving his fingers into position. Will opened his legs more, and Nico pressed one of his fingers inside with no rush and began moving it in and out until Will couldn’t take it anymore and asked him for more.

“Anything for you,” Nico purred before inserting another finger.

Will grew accustomed to the feeling quickly but let Nico go slow nonetheless. Nico thrust his fingers deeper, drawing a gasp from Will. Will watched as Nico’s other hand moved to his own cock, and he began to massage himself up and down, his head slightly tilted backward as he did so. Will decided he could get used to a view like this. He smiled and pushed himself further onto Nico’s fingers. The next time Nico drew his fingers back, he put a third one in place and began to press inside. Will rocked his hips right along with him until he was stretched out and ready, and Nico looked like he couldn’t bear to wait any longer.

“Do you want to try a different position then last time?” Nico asked.

“Sure,” Will murmured between kisses.

Nico leaned forward, dropping his face to speak into Will’s ear.

“Turn over,” he whispered.

Feeling Nico’s breath hot on his cheek sent a shiver down Will’s spine, and he complied. Nico climbed off of him, and Will turned over. Nico grabbed a hold of his hips, pulling him upward so he was on his knees. He pressed the head of his cock against Will’s ass and gently started inside. Will stilled as he expanded. Nico took his time, rolling his hips slowly in and out, each time going a little bit deeper within. When he was all the way in, Will bit his bottom hip and inhaled. Nico asked him if he was okay to start moving, to which Will said it was.

He started at a slow pace which sent a burning feeling through Will’s core. Once they were both settled and comfortable, Nico grabbed a hold of Will’s hips and started moving quicker. Each thrust seemed to fill him, and this new position hit Will in different spots that sent shivers of desire coursing through him. He gripped onto the sheets and pushed his hips back, encouraging Nico to keep going.

Nico reached around, grabbing Will’s cock in his hand, and began stroking him as he thrust his hips. Will breathed in movement with Nico, soft moans escaping his lips. Nico started to move faster and harder. Will’s cock throbbed in Nico’s hand and before he could think or say anything, the feeling of ecstasy became too much and he finished. Nico continued to work at him, not showing any sign of slowing down, and Will’s whole body began to shake.

It wasn’t long after that Nico finished with a moan. Will could feel his cock throbbing side him. Nico gave a few slow rolls of his hips before gently sliding out. Will turned around to look up at Nico. Nico gave him a smile, and Will could see his fangs were out again. Nico removed the condom, tied it up, and tossed it on Will’s nightstand.

He started to climb off Will’s bed when Will grabbed onto his wrist.

“Where are you going?” Will asked.

“My fangs are out. I thought I should get some space.”

Will pulled gently on Nico’s wrist. He knew it was a dangerous game he was playing, but right now, he just wanted Nico. He didn’t want to be fucked and left. Even though he knew Nico wasn’t like that, Will suddenly was overcome with the feeling of not wanting to be alone.

“Lay down with me,” Will said. “We can just lay here until you’ve calmed down.”

Nico froze as if he were unsure of what to say or do. Will knew that Nico didn’t want to hurt him, and he trusted that Nico’s willpower was stronger than his instincts. He just needed to try.

“Please?” Will asked.

Nico sighed. “Okay, but can I lay on the outside, so if I feel myself starting to lose control, I can get out of here quickly?”

“Sure,” Will agreed.

Will rolled over to the far side of the bed nearest to the wall, and Nico laid down on the other side. Will felt a little bad having just guilted Nico into staying. He decided not to make anything harder on Nico than he needed to, so instead of pulling Nico in to cuddle, he just outstretched his hand and laced their fingers together. Nico rolled on his side and gave Will a smile, and Will could see that his fangs were still out.

_ It’s fine _ , Will told himself.  _ He just needs a minute to relax.  _ He racked his brain for something to say, for something to distract Nico with so he could think and focus about something other than blood.

“I still can’t believe you said I’m cute,” Will mumbled.

Nico huffed a laugh under his breath. “I just think it’s endearing that you don’t know how to ‘dirty talk’ as you put it.”

“It’s embarrassing!” Will said. “I blanked. I had no idea of what to say.”

“You could say anything you want,” Nico answered. “Like, ‘Nico, I want you to kiss me until my head spins and I can’t breathe.’ Or ‘Nico, I want you to take my cock in your hand and work me over til my legs are trembling.’ Or even ‘Nico, I want you to take me into the bedroom and fuck me face down in a pillow.’ Anything would have worked.”

“I like how your suggestions just got progressively dirtier.”

“That’s because I know what I want.” Nico winked.

Will loved seeing Nico like this. Without worry or fear or second-guessing himself. In the bedroom he had no hesitation and controlled himself perfectly. He was confident and sexy, and he guided Will forward with complete decisiveness. He knew what he wanted, and he knew how to please Will, and he executed everything with perfect precision and ease. It drove Will absolutely crazy.

“I know what I want, too,” Will said finally. “And it’s just you.”

The playful grin fell from Nico’s face as he registered the gravity of Will’s words. Will was immediately embarrassed by Nico’s reaction and wished he didn’t say something so sincere.

“I want you, too.” Nico said, finally. And when he spoke, Will could see the sharpness of his fangs had faded, and everything was back to normal.

_ Well,  _ Will thought,  _ at least I gave Nico  _ something  _ to think about.  _ He hadn’t intended it to be the distraction that snapped Nico back into his control, but it worked. And it was honest. So Will couldn’t complain about that.

“I was wondering,” Will continued, “are we boyfriends?”

“We can be.” Nico swallowed. “I would like that.”

A smile tugged at the corner of Will’s lips, and he squeezed Nico’s hand gently. “Me, too.”

After a moment, Will added. “And I promise I’m not trying to lure you into bed every time we hang out.”

Nico laughed. “I wouldn’t care if you did.”

Will chuckled. “I’m happy I got to spend Christmas with you.”

“As am I.”

Will let his eyes fall closed as he rubbed the back of Nico’s hand with his thumb. He was happy. He wished he could stay like this forever. And soon enough, Will drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 And Will, I feel for you honey, because I also HATE at "dirty talk" hahahah. It just feels so embarrassing? Anyways,
> 
> If you skipped the chapter and are just reading the notes. Here is a summary of what you missed:  
> -Will gives Nico a blow job, to which Nico feels guilty about because he can't do the same for Will (because of his fangs), but Will insists he doesn't care  
> -Nico and Will have sex (obviously)  
> -Nico's fangs come out when he finishes  
> -Will convinces Nico not to run out of the room and lay with him while he gathers his control again  
> -Nico and Will hold hands and talk until his fangs retract  
> -Will admires Nico's confidence in the bedroom  
> -Will asks Nico if this means they're boyfriends, to which Nico agrees
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated :)


	22. Nightmare

Nico-

_ A light summer breeze swept through the trees, rustling the leaves overheard and playing with the ends of Nico’s hair. It was late, and the sun had set, leaving the countryside overtaken by a star-speckled black sky. The warmth of the day had settled into something cool, and Nico sat up against a tree in the woods, surrounded by a world of shadows. A shiver crawled up his spine, but he attributed it more to the atmosphere and the temperature than the fact that he was about to do something dangerous. Really dangerous. _

_ He and his boyfriend agreed to meet here tonight after dark. Nico had snuck out of his mother’s house, careful not to disturb her or his sister, Bianca, as he left his room, moved down the hallway, and stepped out of the front door. It was hard leaving. There was no getting past that. He had to say his goodbyes to them without actually saying it, but he knew after tonight, he’d never be able to see them again. _

_ It was a high price to pay, but sometimes the cost of love was. And that’s why he was doing this. He was in love. Truly and deeply. He was completely enraptured by his boyfriend, his whole life, his thoughts, and his heart seeming to revolve around him. He didn’t need anything or anyone else. He just needed  _ him _. And after tonight, they could spend an eternity together. _

_ There’d be no goodbyes or loss or heartbreak. It would just be them. The two of them against the world. It was worth every risk and danger that Nico faced. After tonight, everything would change for the better. He was certain of it. So that was why Nico was where he was, sitting in the dark woods, waiting for his boyfriend. He shook any fear or hesitation from his mind. He wanted this. He wanted to be together. _

_ Nico drew his legs inward to his chest to hold onto his warmth. He waited a long while, but eventually he heard the snap of twigs as someone approached. He snapped his attention toward the sound and pushed himself up onto his feet in a mix of nervousness and excitement. A figure stepped forth from the shadows, and in the moonlight, it slowly took shape and form of Nico’s boyfriend. He was here. Nico’s heart started beating wildly. _

_ ‘Buonasera, Nico,” his boyfriend wished him a good evening with a smile. _

_ He reached out, taking Nico’s hand in his, before pressing a gentle kiss against it.  _

_ “Mi sei mancato,” Nico admitted.  _ I’ve missed you.

_ “Anche tu,” his boyfriend agreed. “Sei pronto? _

_ Nico didn’t need to be asked if he was ready. He was. And he answered with just as much certainty. “Certo.” _

_ They talked about this earlier today, just once, but Nico knew in his heart that this was what he wanted, and he didn’t need time to think about it or second guess himself. His boyfriend had talked him through what they would do. Nico listened intently to every step. It seemed relatively simple. Could it really be that easy? _

_ His boyfriend pulled a small knife from his pocket. He pressed the blade against the palm of his hand and cut deep with a slight hiss. He offered his hand up to Nico. Nico knew what he needed to do. His heart beat profusely. _

_ This was it. The first step to eternity with the boy he loved. _

_ He needed to drink his boyfriend’s blood, and he needed to drink it before the wound healed itself. Nico pressed his lips to the palm of his boyfriend’s hand and let the blood fill his mouth. At first, the taste made him want to gag. It was a hot, metallic taste that turned his stomach. But he forced himself to drink it. He’d already made up his mind, and there was no turning back now. _

_ Eventually the wound healed beneath his lips, and his boyfriend withdrew his hand. He made another incision. Nico needed to drink more. And so he did. And when he finally finished, he looked up at his boyfriend with wide, searching eyes. His boyfriend raised his hand to his face, using his thumb to wipe a drop of blood that clung from the side of Nico’s lips. _

_ “Grazie,” his boyfriend whispered. _

_ And Nico’s brows furrowed. Why was his boyfriend thanking him? But before he could ask, his boyfriend grabbed the sides of his head and twisted. Then everything went black. _

_ By the time Nico awoke again, he didn’t know if it had been seconds or hours that had passed. It was still dark overhead. Nico sat up, looking around. He was alone. Where was his boyfriend? There was something in his hand. A folded letter. He clenched his fist tight around it. He started to panic, and then there was a burning in his throat and a deep hunger in his belly. His canines started to burn like fire, and he cried out in agony as he felt them sharpen in his mouth. _

_ “Dove sei?!” he screamed. Where was he? “DOVE SEI?!” _

_ Tears started to stream down his face. He didn’t understand what was happening to him. He didn’t understand why he was alone. He didn’t understand why his boyfriend  _ left  _ him. His head hurt. His teeth hurt. His heart hurt. And he was overwhelmed with a deep, vicious hunger. Nico’s whole body began to shake. He wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand, suddenly aware that he was still holding the letter. _

_ His breath trembled as he smoothed out the crinkles and opened it up. It was just a name and an address. Hades. Nothing else. Nico felt sick. What did it mean? Was that where he was supposed to go? He clutched the letter tight once more, and he screamed until he collapsed to the ground. _

Nico awoke with his heart pounding. His eyes were damp, and his breathing came fast. He looked around. He was in Will’s room. In his bed. It was still late. Once realizing this, he began to calm down. Why had he dreamt of that night? The night he’d turned. The night where he was betrayed and abandoned. The night that ruined his life.

Nico looked over to Will, watching the slow movement of the blanket over his shoulder rise and fall as he breathed.  _ I’m okay _ , Nico thought to himself,  _ I’m with Will now.  _ And Nico knew there was a part of him that feared what it meant to have a boyfriend again. To let himself fall for something again. He’d been so reckless the first time. And he knew he was being reckless with Will, too, but in a different way.  _ He _ was the one who was putting Will in danger. He vowed never to do to Will what was done to him. Will would never suffer the way he had to.

Nico slid across the bed, closing the distance between him and Will. He draped his arm over Will’s waist and pressed his forehead against the skin of Will’s back. He gave Will a gentle squeeze of reassurance. Whether for him or for Will, he didn’t know. All he knew was that he wanted to be with him. Everything else could be worried about later. Nico let his eyes fall closed once more, letting his thoughts run until they turned to nothingness, and he fell back asleep.

He didn’t dream of anything for the rest of the night. He slept deeply and heavily, comfortable against the warmth and security of Will’s body. But it seemed like he had barely managed to sleep when something disrupted him. He heard ringing. Nico stirred. The sound was distant, and he was too tired to really care. He heard as Will shuffled around in the bed, and after a moment, Will gently pulled himself free from Nico’s arms and crawled over him. Nico heard as Will stepped off the bed and shuffled through the pocket of his jeans. Then the ringing stopped and Will spoke

“Dad, why are you calling me?” Will sounded annoyed, sleep still heavy in his voice. “It’s five in the morning.”

There was a beat of silence, and Nico only half paid-attention. It was five in the morning already? He’d felt as though he just fell asleep.

“Okay, yeah,” Will spoke into the phone. “I can get there. I’ll leave in a few minutes, I just have to shower and get dressed, then I’ll head out.”

Will set his phone back down on his bedside table and huffed, annoyed. Nico rolled over to face Will.

“What’s going on?” Nico asked, sleep still heavy in his voice.

“I don’t know, but my dad wants me to go to the hospital,” Will said, displeased.

Nico groaned and started to sit up.

“No, you can keep sleeping,” Will insisted. I’ll leave the key in my mailbox. Just lock up and put it back when you leave.”

“I don’t want to be a burden,” Nico said.

“You’re not.” Will leaned in and kissed him on the forehead. “I’d feel bad if I kicked you out at five in the morning.”

Nico hummed. He wasn’t going to argue that. He was tired, and Will’s bed was warm. He didn’t mind staying here a few more hours to sleep.

Will rolled out of bed, and Nico closed his eyes once more. By the time he heard the shower running, he fell back asleep.

  
  
  
  


-Will-

Will took a taxi to the hospital. It was cold out and still dark. He was tired and admittedly irritated. He didn’t understand why his father had asked him to come into the hospital this early on the day after Christmas. What was so important that it couldn’t wait? But his father’s voice sounded urgent over the phone, so he wasn’t about to argue with him over it. At least, not over the phone. Plus, according to his father, he had nothing else going on, so he should apparently be able to pick up and go at the drop of a dime. Will scoffed.

And when he woke up with Nico holding him, he’d been so happy. He hated having to leave Nico behind. Last night had been beyond perfect. It was everything Will could have wished for and more, and now he was being dragged out of a dream and into his life without any forewarning. He decided he would be sure to give his father an earful about it when he arrived at the hospital.

Once they arrived, Will paid the fare and got out of the taxi. He trudged through the slush of the parking lot toward the front door. There were crowds standing outside. That was odd. Something obviously was going on. As he approached, he realized that the dozens of people flooded outside the hospital doors weren’t just people, they were reporters. There were microphones and cameras and everyone seemed to be talking over one other. The security guards were struggling to get a reign on things, and the words “vampire” and “blood” and “attack” caught Will’s ears as he passed.

His heart started pounding, and he moved faster. He flashed his hospital ID card at the security officer as he passed, and pushed through the doors. The inside of the hospital seemed to be absolute mayhem. Despite the hour, the room was busy with people running around and speaking frantically to each other. Something was wrong. Something was  _ very  _ wrong.

Will rushed toward the elevator, practically slamming the button to take himself up to his father’s floor. He tapped his fingers anxiously against his thigh as the elevator crawled upward. And after what seemed to be forever, the bell finally gave a ding and the doors slid open slowly. Will was out of the elevator before the doors were even fully open, and it took all of his self control not to race down the hallway toward his fathers office. He was nearly there when his father came bursting through the door, the expression on his face stone-cold serious.

“Dad, what’s wrong?” Will asked, panic in his voice.

“Follow me,” his father said without stopping.

He continued down the hallway, and Will followed him at a quick pace. They took the stairs rather than the elevator, and as they walked, his father explained.

“We just received two bodies in the ER. Drained of blood.”

Will’s heart stopped. “What?”

“I arrived minutes before you did, so I haven’t seen anything for myself. But we’re going there now to confirm. Apparently they have puncture wounds on their necks,” his father explained.

“A vampire?” Will asked.

“That’s the theory.”

Will continued to follow his father. A vampire attack. His thoughts turned to Nico, but he quickly shut that idea out. Nico would never. It couldn’t be him. Besides, Nico had been with him all night. So who was it then?

They reached the hospital mortuary shortly thereafter. Will and his father pushed through a set of double doors. They burst into the room where two bodies lay side by side on metal tables. When Dr. Apollo and Will entered, the rest of the doctors in the room cleared out quickly.

Will paled. He’d seen death before, but he’d never seen death like  _ this.  _ They were two men, their skin strangely loose on their bones and pale and gray-like with their blood completely drained. A look of fear was frozen on their faces. On the sides of their neck was blood, dried to a dark ruddy brown color. And Will could see the puncture marks left behind by fangs.

This was it. This is what vampires were capable of. It was cold, hard, and terrifying murder. And as his father checked over the bodies, Will knew this was nothing Nico would have done. 

“The bodies only arrived an hour ago,” Dr. Apollo explained. “But the estimated T.O.D. is around 8 o’clock last night.”

“Dad?” Will swallowed. “Why am I here?”

His father looked up at him, and the distress was clear on his face. “Because you need to see this, Will. I need you to see this and fully understand the danger that you’re in.”

Will’s lips tightened together. This had nothing to do with him. He was only involved with Nico. No other vampire. And Nico hadn’t done this. 

“How does this involve me?” Will dared to ask. Will took a step back, unable to tear his eyes away from the bodies.

“Do you know who these two men are?” his father asked.

Will shook his head.

“They’re the two men who brought the vampire in,” his father told him. “First the reporter went missing and now these two turn up dead with their blood drained.”

“I don’t know why you’re telling me this.” Will shook his head.

“Because, Will, I know you know more than you’re letting on,” his father stated. “I’ve asked you time and time again, but you always say you know nothing. You need to  _ tell  _ me. Before this vampire hurts you or someone else.”

“ _ I don’t know anything _ !” Will stressed. “Not about this. You  _ have  _ to believe me.”

And he didn’t. It was the truth. Whether his father believed him or not. And then a sliver of doubt crossed his mind.  _ He  _ didn’t know anything about this, but did Nico? Was he wrong for keeping Nico in the dark about the missing reporter? Could he have done something that would have prevented the deaths of these two men?

Then Will felt sick to his stomach, turned on his heel, and fled the room. Will ran down the hallway, ignoring the turning heads and confused eyes that stared at him as he went. He needed to find somewhere far away from this mess. He needed to find somewhere private where he could think and figure all of this out.

Will ran up the stairs two steps at a time until he reached the next floor. He made his way down another hallway until he found an empty room. He went inside, slamming the door behind him before sliding down against the door to sit on the ground. He didn’t bother turning on the lights.

Will took a moment to breathe. He couldn’t stop the questions from flooding into his head. Why was this happening? Who was doing this? Was he really in danger? But he knew that he could ask himself these questions a thousand times over, and he still wouldn’t know the answers. He needed to find someone who might. And though he didn’t want to drag Nico into the middle of this, Nico was already involved, whether he knew it or not.

The missing reporter… the two bounty hunters… They all revolved around Nico’s capture. Someone was doing this to frame him. And maybe Nico had an idea of who it could be. Will dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. His hands shook as he scrolled through his contacts before landing on Nico’s name. He dialed and pressed his phone up to his ear.

The line seemed to never stop ringing, and Will feared Nico would sleep through his call. And just when he was about ready to hang up and try calling again, the line answered,

“Will?” Nico asked sleepily.

And somehow hearing Nico’s voice through the phone managed to calm Will down some. He breathed.

“Is everything okay?” Nico asked. 

“Can I ask you something?” Will asked, trying to keep his voice steady,

“Always.”

Will squeezed his eyes shut before asking, “Do you know anything about there being another vampire in the city?”

Nico paused. And Will didn’t know if he’d rather Nico did or didn’t. If he did, they could find out who was responsible. But if he didn’t, then Nico really had nothing to do with this.

“No. I don’t,” Nico answered. “Why?”

Will frowned. He didn’t exactly know how to say it, so he tried to explain the best he could without sounding accusatory. “Apparently there were two men found with their blood completely drained. There were… bite marks on their necks.”

“You know I have nothing to do with that, right?”

Will sighed, combing his fingers through his hair. “Of course. I know. I was just wondering if you might have any idea of  _ who  _ was responsible.”

“I have no idea. This is the first I’m hearing of it.”

Will swallowed. He hadn’t even told Nico the worst part yet. “There’s something else.”

“What is it?”

“The men they found… they were the two bounty hunters who captured you. And the reporter who wrote the articles about you is missing.”

“What?”

“I don’t know. It seems too purposeful to be a coincidence. But why would another vampire do that?”

Nico thought it over. “Wait,” he paused, concern in his voice. “I think I might have an idea of what’s going on.”

“What?” Will asked.

“I’ll explain it to you later. I have to go.”

“Nico, what’s going on?” Will pressed.

“I have to figure it out first. I’ll call you back

“Okay, please let me know.”

“I will,” Nico said, and Will could already hear him bustling around. “Bye, Will.”

Will clenched his phone in his hand. “Be safe.”

Nico hung up, and Will stared at his phone a long while, thinking things over. So Nico  _ did  _ have an idea of what was going on then. But what was it? And what was it he needed to figure out first before explaining anything? He knew Nico was innocent in all of this, but it didn’t change the fact that he knew something. That he was involved somehow. But to what extent, Will didn’t know, and that’s what made him nervous.

He wondered if his father was right—if he was in danger. But all of this second vampire’s victims were people who hurt Nico. And Will had done nothing but help him. So he should be safe, right?

Will locked his phone and shoved it back into his pocket. This whole thing was a nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 And FINALLY! Nico's backstory. Okay, disclaimer: I do not speak Italian lol. It's all Google Translate. And don't worry if you don't either, nothing of real substance is said, and the context clues are there (sorry to make your brain work :P). Also, more ~drama~ time. The bounty hunters are DEAD. As always, kudos and comments are appreciated!!
> 
> P.S. Merry Christmas today to anyone who celebrates!
> 
> P.P.S. Thank you to AO3 user "Nithrathien" for some tips on the Italian


	23. Influence

-Nico-

Any exhaustion Nico had felt upon waking up was quickly fleeting after his phone call with Will. He nearly jumped out of the bed and scrambled to put his clothes back on. He caught sight of last night’s condom, still on Will’s nightstand and tossed it in the wastebasket in his room. He needed to get out of here and figure out what was going on as quickly as possible.

He’d completely forgotten about Hades’ letter, of his promise to send aid to Nico until his phone call with Will.  _ It seems too purposeful to be a coincidence. But why would another vampire do that?  _ As soon as Will had asked that question, realization had dawned on Nico. There was another vampire out there taking out those who had been involved in Nico’s capture. This was the plan. This was Hades’ aid.

Nico knew he didn’t have the time to explain all of this to Will over the phone. He needed to put a stop to all of this before things got worse. Even if it was Hades intention to help, everything that was going on would make things more difficult for him. He didn’t need revenge. He didn’t want it. He just wanted  _ peace. _

On his way out the door, Nico checked his phone. His battery was running low. But he should still have enough to call Hazel. He dialed her number and waited as the phone rang. Luckily, she was quick to answer.

“Neeks!” she exclaimed. “Are you calling to tell me about your date last night?”

“No,” Nico said, unable to match her enthusiasm. He started jogging down the apartment stairs to the first floor. “I need to know if you’ve talked to Hades.”

“No, not yet. Why? Is something going on?”

Nico pushed through the front door and began down the street toward his car.

“I think he sent another vampire here,” Nico explained. “Whoever it is, they’re  _ killing  _ people.”

Hazel hummed. “I get why you’re scared, but that doesn’t mean it has anything to do with Hades.”

“He sent me a letter, Hazel, saying that he was going to send help. I don’t—I can’t figure out why else this would be happening.”

Nico unlocked his car and climbed inside. He slammed the door behind him and put the car into drive.

“Nico…” Hazel said, worriedly. “I know I’ve said this a couple of times to you already, but maybe you really should come to Greece. If Hades  _ did  _ send another vampire there, you don’t want to get caught up in whatever mess they make.”

“I’m not going to Greece,” Nico snapped. And then he felt immediately guilty. He knew Hazel was just trying to look out for him. He sighed. “Just… not when it feels like I’ve finally got my life together. Not when I just got Will.”

“I understand, but—”

“Don’t worry about me, Hazel,” Nico cut her off. He turned on the next street in the direction of his apartment. “I’ll take care of this myself. I’m going back to my place now, and I’m going to write Hades a letter thanking him for his help but asking whoever he sent here to please tell to go back.”

“Telling Hades what to do?” she asked. “You better be careful.”

“I will be,” Nico promised. “Anyways, I’m about to get to my apartment. I’m going to write this letter and call you later.”

“Okay, Neeks. Take care.”

“You, too.”

Nico hung up and put his phone back into his pocket. It only took another minute or two of driving, but Nico finally pulled onto his street and put his car into park. He climbed out and closed the door behind him before walking toward his apartment building. But as he walked, he noticed something was very,  _ very  _ wrong.

Police cars swarmed his street, all parked in front of his apartment building. Their sirens were off, which he assumed was why he didn’t notice them at first, now that he was out of his car and walking, he finally took in his surroundings. The police were here. They’d found him.

Nico froze in his step. He looked upward to his apartment, where he could see flashlights moving inside from the window.  _ Fuck.  _ They knew where he lived, and they were raising his apartment. But how? And then Nico’s throat tightened and his heart sank to his stomach. Jason. It had to be. No one else besides Will even knew where he lived.  _ And I swear on my life Nico, if I find out you’ve done anything,  _ anything _ , to hurt anyone, I won’t hesitate to tell them where you are and everything I know.  _ Jason’s words crossed his mind.

Jason must’ve heard about what happened to that reporter… or those bounty hunters. He must’ve thought that Nico was behind it.  _ Fuck _ , Nico thought again. He needed to get out of here. He needed to run. And fast. The longer he stayed, the more danger he was in of getting captured again. He didn’t know where he would go. But he just knew he needed to get as far away from here as possible.

Nico turned back around and started running toward his car. But as he ran, he saw a shadow of a presence from the corner of his eye, and someone pulled him into an alleyway. Nico panicked, trying to yank himself free, but whoever had him was stronger than he was. Then he realized, if that were the case, it wasn’t a human or some bounty hunter who’d grabbed him. It had to be another vampire.

Nico stopped resisting and followed the other down the alleyway. He was taller than Nico with a mop of brown hair, and though Nico couldn’t see his face quite yet as he dragged him down the alley, based on his figure, he looked to be a handful of years older than Nico. At least, as far as appearances went.  _ This must be the vampire Hades sent to help me _ , Nico thought. And although he certainly wasn’t a fan of this vampire’s methods, Nico figured he could trust him to get him somewhere safe. He was here to help him after all. 

The two of them weaved in and out of various alleys, ducking down side streets and moving farther and farther away from Nico’s apartment. The more distance he put between himself and the police, the safer he felt. It wasn’t until they’d been moving for about fifteen minutes that they finally stopped to catch their breaths. Nico grabbed the other by the arm and whipped him around to face him.

“Who are you?” Nico demanded.

“You can call me Bryce.”

“Are you the one who killed those two bounty hunters?”

“All me. Consider it a Christmas gift.” He flashed a smile. “You’re welcome.”

“ _ You’re welcome _ ?!” Nico shouted, infuriated. “Do you have any idea of what you did? You made it look like  _ I  _ killed them!”

“Oh, I’m very much aware,” Bryce answered. He seemed to be displeased with Nico’s lack of appreciation. “Now they know not to mess with you. Or any vampire for that matter.”

“What? What are you doing here? Why did you just show up to  _ my  _ city out of nowhere and decide to start making statements?”

Bryce frowned at Nico, looking very annoyed. He wanted gratitude, not a scolding. “Hades sent me to clean up your mess.”

“Hades sent you?” Nico repeated. So he was right, then.

“That’s what I said, isn’t it? Apparently, he took your letter to him very personally and asked me to make sure something like that never happened again.”

“But you’ve only made things worse. Now they’ve come to my apartment. They know where I live. I can’t go home.”

Bryce didn’t look to be bothered by that fact in the slightest. “Come to Greece, where you belong.”

“No,” Nico said firmly through gritted teeth.

“Why not?”

“I have a life here.”

Bryce looked confused and offended. “You were  _ captured  _ and  _ tortured  _ here, and you could have put every vampire at risk if you started talking.”

“And I kept my fucking mouth shut, didn’t I? I did more damage control than you’re doing.”

“You ungrateful little bastard,” Bryce snapped.

“Just go back to Greece and don’t come back.”

And then something in Bryce changed, but Nico couldn’t quite place it. His aggravation turned into something different. It almost looked like… amusement?

“I’m not done with you yet,” Bryce said.

“What?” Nice asked. “What the fuck else do you have to do?”

“Hades told me how you got captured. Stealing  _ blood bags _ ,” Bryce mused.

And Nico realized he was right. There  _ was  _ a hint of amusement in Bryce’s voice. But Nico was not about to play along. He wasn’t in the mood to get a lecture or judgment from another vampire on how he decided to conduct himself. Especially not a vampire who went out and killed people just to send a message.

“Yeah? So?” Nico snapped.

“You’re a vampire. You need to be getting blood at the source.”

“You’re not going to tell me how to feed,” Nico snarled.

“Oh, I’m not going to tell you. I’m going to  _ make  _ you. I’m going to turn you into the vampire you’re supposed to be instead of the weak excuse you are now, putting the rest of us all at risk.”

Nico took a step back, raising his arms in defense. “Get the fuck away from me.”

But it was too late. Bryce was already charging at him. Nico tried to suck out of the way, but the other was faster. He tackled Nico to the ground. Nico raised his arms to shove him off, but he wouldn’t budge. Anger and fear overtook him, and his fangs sharpened. He snarled at Bryce, but Bryce merely laughed, which just made him angrier.

Then Bryce reached for something in his pocket. Nico tried to use this moment to break free, but he’d barely managed to move when Bryce pinned him down again. Then he saw it. Bryce was holding a syringe.

“Let me go!” Nico screamed and kicked up at him.

He felt something prick his neck. The world went blurry, and then it fell to black.

  
  
  


-Will- 

A few hours had passed, and Will had left the hospital and returned to his apartment. He was tired, but no matter how much he wanted to sleep, he couldn’t bring himself to. He checked his phone every minute or two, but he was disappointed each time to not have any notifications.

Will hadn’t heard from Nico since their phone call earlier, and he feared the worst. What if Nico had ran? What if the whole situation had scared him so much and he was so afraid of getting captured again that he just decided to take off? What if he never saw Nico again? The thought made him absolutely sick to his stomach.

Then there was a knock on his door. Will froze where he stood. He stared at the door, completely confused. Who would come here unannounced? He hoped it was Nico. He hoped Nico had showed up to explain everything he knew to Will, and that they could figure out a plan together to get past this.

He started toward the door when there was another knock, a little bit harsher.

“Will, are you home?” a voice spoke from the other side of the door. He knew that voice. It was his father.

For a moment, he was filled with disappointment. He’d really let himself believe it was Nico on the other side. Then he thought. Why would his father show up out of the blue? He’d never done that before. Will forced the stiffness from his legs and walked over to the door. He unlocked it and opened it to see his father standing there. He didn’t look like his usual pleased self in the slightest.

“Dad?”

“Will, can I come inside?”

“Okay,” Will said, stepping to the side to allow his father to step in.

His father glanced over the apartment.

“Did you have a Christmas party?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Will lied. “Nothing big.”

“I’m going to look around,” his father announced.

And then he searched Will’s apartment room for room. He opened every door and drawer and checked every space. Will had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He knew something was wrong, and his gut told him it had to do with Nico. When his father moved to his room, Will followed him in.

“What are you doing?” Will asked.

His father opened his closet doors, sliding his clothes from one side to the next, before closing them again.

“Why are you here?” Will asked.

“I needed to talk to you.”

“About what? And why were you going through my things?” he asked, a little angrily.

“I just needed to see for myself if he was here. If he’d  _ been  _ here.”

“Who, Dad?” Although he feared he already knew the answer. “What are you talking about?”

“The vampire,” his father answered him. “I know you’ve been in contact with him.”

“I don’t even know what you’re saying,” Will snapped, defensively. “Do you hear yourself?”

“Don’t lie to me Will,” his father answered sternly, in a very ‘Dr. Apollo’ kind of voice. “The Department of Medical Advancement had the police comb through every inch of the vampire’s apartment. It seems he’s fled. Again. But they did find something interesting there. Aside from the blood bags, there was actual  _ food _ there. And they found traces of blond, curly hair. Human hair. They ran in through their systems, but weren’t able to get an ID on it… I know it was you, Will.”

Will felt a rush of emotions sweep through him. His father said Nico had fled.  _ Okay,  _ Will breathed. The scientists didn’t have him. That was good. But they did find something else. His hair. And his father seemed fairly certain that he knew it was Will’s.

“That could be anyone’s hair,” Will continued to lie.

His father left the bedroom and headed toward the kitchen. He started rummaging through Will’s cabinets.

“I know it’s yours, Will,” his father said. “I know you helped him escape that day from the Department. I had questioned you in the car, but you were so persistent that you had nothing to do with it, and I wanted to believe you. Then there were the blood bags that went missing at the hospital right after your shadowing shift. And I didn’t tell you I knew because I didn’t want to think it was you, so I didn’t let myself believe it. But now they’ve found blond hair at his apartment? I can’t just continue to pretend I don’t know it’s you anymore, Will.”

And then his father opened the fridge, and Will thought his heart was going to stop. On the top shelf there was a blood bag. Nico must’ve forgotten it when he took off this morning. His father reached for the blood bag and turned around to face Will, holding it up. His father looked at him with an expression that told him there was no denying it anymore. He wanted the truth.

“Dad…” Will didn’t know what to say.

Will’s father sighed. He set the blood bag back inside Will’s fridge and closed the door. “I’m not mad at you. I just need to know where he is. He’s dangerous.”

“He’s  _ not  _ dangerous,” Will said. “He didn’t have anything to do with that reporter or those bounty hunters who had their blood drained.”

“Do you hear yourself Will? They weren’t  _ bounty hunters.  _ They were human. People. Men with lives and jobs and families. And now they’re dead.”

“I’m sorry,” Will ran a heavy hand through his hair, sighing. “I know they were. And it’s terrible. Really. But I also know N—” Will stopped himself. He didn’t want to give his father Nicos’s name. He didn’t want to give him anything that might make Nico easier to track. “—I know  _ he  _ had nothing to do with what happened to them. There must be another vampire.”

His father paused, taking in the information. “Let’s sit down for a moment, okay?”

Will nodded. The two moved to Will’s kitchen table and sat down on either end. Will fought the urge to bury his head in his hands. His father finally found out, and he really didn’t want to be having this conversation.

“If that’s the case,” his father continued, “if there really is a second vampire, you need to tell me where the first one is so that we might be able to track down the second.”

“I don’t know where he is, and I wouldn’t tell you even if I did.”

“Why, Will?” his father asked. “You’re speaking as though you’re completely under his influence.”

“I’m not  _ under his influence,  _ Dad. You saw what those scientists were doing to him. You  _ agreed  _ it was unethical.”

“And I was working on that! The doctor agreed she would change her methods, and by the time we returned to the room, the vampire was gone because  _ you  _ helped him escape.”

“And I’m glad I did. He didn’t deserve anything that happened to him. He’s not some bad, evil, bloodsucking vampire, Dad. He’s  _ good.  _ And he’s scared. And he drinks blood bags so he doesn’t have to feed on humans, and aside from all that, he’s no different than you or me.”

Will’s father seemed to calm down for a moment. she inhaled deeply, and took a long moment to look at Will. He was gathering his thoughts.

“He hasn’t hurt you?”

“No.”

“Does he drink your blood?”

“Of course not.”

“And you’re  _ certain  _ he had nothing to do with the death of those two men?”

“I’d bet my life on it.”

His father looked over to Will’s fridge again Will could only guess he was thinking about the blood bag that was inside.

“What is your relationship with him?” his father asked.

Will’s heart pounded, but he told him the truth. “We’re dating.”

His father placed his head in his hands. “What am I supposed to do about any of this?”

“Just pretend we never had this conversation?” Will suggested.

“That’s not going to happen,” he answered, dropping his hands.

“You can’t do anything to hurt him, promise me.”

“I can’t promise you that. Not when it’s your safety and your life at risk.”

“I already told you he’s never hurt me.”

“But he has  _ instincts _ , Will. He can’t just shut them off forever.”

“He’s done a good job of doing it so far.”

“Well, a ‘good job’ just isn’t going to cut it for me.”

“This has nothing to do with you.”

“You’re my son, Will. And you just told me you’re dating a vampire. It has everything to do with me.”

And Will realized it probably  _ was  _ a lot for his father to wrap his head around. It took Will a good amount of time to even completely trust Nico, he couldn’t just tell his father that everything was perfect and expect him to take it at face value. His father would need time, just as he had.

“Listen, Dad,” Will spoke, more kindness and understanding in his voice. “I know—I know it’s a lot. And I know I can’t just tell you to get over it, but I’m asking you to trust me. Even if it’s only a little. Trust me when I say he’s never hurt me. And I know he has nothing to do with anyone missing or those murders. Just think about it. When he was captured, it was because he was stealing  _ blood bags _ from a clinic. He doesn’t drink blood from humans. He’s just trying to survive the only way he can.”

“Will. I want to trust you. I do. This is just a lot to swallow, okay?”

“I understand. But can you please promise me you won’t do anything to hurt him? You won’t try and track him down or help those scientists anymore?”

His father paused a long moment. “Fine. But only because I don’t want anything leading back to  _ you _ .”

“I can live with that.”

His father sighed. “And you just promise me that you won’t do anything to put yourself in harm’s way? If there really is a second vampire in the city, one that’s a killer, you need to stay as far away from it as you can. Don’t go chasing him down just to clear your boyfriend’s name.”

Will flushed. “Okay.”

He had no intention of tracking down that second vampire. Especially one that was a killer. He only needed to find Nico and make sure he was okay. Nico was probably just in hiding after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 I know there have been guesses on who the second vampire is and what they were going to do, so what do you think? BRYCE has NICO. Poor Nico just really and truly can't catch a break. And now Dr. Apollo KNOWS. Even if Nico hadn't accidentally left the blood bag behind, he knew Will was lying. He just needed something to prove it. Oops? Kudos and comments are always appreciated :)
> 
> P.S. I'm currently writing Chapter 31 - so I'm nearing the end. I might start binge posting soon (no promises, though!) Oh man... I probably jinxed myself lol.


	24. Blood

-Nico-

Nico’s head pounded as he awoke. He groaned and picked his head up, opening his eyes. He blinked once. Twice. Trying to bring focus into the blurry world around him. And then he realized he couldn’t move. He panicked. He pulled at his arms only to discover his wrists were linked together behind his back. He shifted and saw he was chained to a cement pole.

Nico pushed himself upward to a sitting position. His heart started to pound as his memory flocked of his capture.  _ Not again, not again, please gods not again. _ But he realized this was different. He wasn’t in that same concrete room with the mirrored glass window. He was somewhere else. He looked around. It seemed to be a basement of some sort.

“You’re finally awake,” Bryce mused, strolling down the stairs.

“What the fuck are you doing to me?” Nico hissed.

“I already told you. I’m going to teach you how to be a proper vampire. And once you’re done learning that, I’m taking you back to Greece.”

“Let me go,” Nico threatened.

“You’re in no position to be making demands.”

“I’m serious, Bryce. I already told you I’m not drinking blood from a human, and I’m not leaving to go anywhere.”

“We’ll just see about that, won’t we?”

Nico tugged against the chains, but they wouldn’t budge. What he wouldn’t give right now to break himself free and punch that stupid, arrogant expression off of Bryce’s face. “Gods, do you have some fucking power complex or something? You can’t control me. I’m my own sentient being, and I’ll make my own fucking decisions.”

“Hades told me to clean up your mess, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

Nico frowned. “Hades wouldn’t have told you to do this.”

Bryce smiled. “This  _ is  _ at my own discretion, but trust me when I say it’s for the best.”

“Fuck you.”

“You say that now, but by the time we’re done, you’ll be thanking me.”

Bryce turned around and started back up the stairs.

“Where are you going?” Nico demanded.

“Don’t worry. I have something for you. I’ll be right back.”

And just hearing Bryce say that  _ did  _ make Nico worry. Whatever Bryce had for him, it couldn’t be good. Nico took the moment where Bryce was gone to look around. He twisted his arms to his side to see the chains that bound him. There was a keyhole. He just needed to find the keys, then. He surveyed the basement he was in. It was relatively empty, and based on the conditions everything seemed to be in, he was sure this building was abandoned. Then on one of the far walls he eyed a set of iron keys hanging from a hook. Those must be them. But how was he going to get to them?

Then Bryce returned with a young woman in tow. He gripped her bicep tightly, and she pulled against him, trying to break free. Her red, curly hair was a mess, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Let me go!” she pleaded, trying to push Bryce. “Let go of me!”

But her efforts were futile. Bryce was stronger. He didn’t seem bothered by her in the slightest. He continued to drag her down the stairs until they reached the basement floor.

“Who is that?” Nico asked.

“This?” Bryce looked at him. “This is the reporter who wrote all of those nasty articles about you.”

The woman’s eyes grew wide with horror. She started pleading. “Please! I’m so sorry. I’ll never write anything about you again! I’ll quit my job! I’ll leave! Please don’t kill me.”

She started sobbing. Nico took a step back, overwhelmed by everything.

“Bryce,” he said. “Let her go.”

“No,” he said, dragging her over to him. “If she’s going to write articles about  _ scary killer vampires _ , then don’t you think we should help her with her research? Shouldn’t she get some first-hand experience?”

“I said  _ let her go _ ,” Nico snarled.

But Bryce didn’t care what Nico or the woman had to say. He didn’t care for her pleading and her sobbing, and he didn’t care for Nico’s refusal to cooperate. He dragged the woman over to him, grabbing a fistful of her red hair to keep her head still. She lifted her hands, trying to pull herself free.

“Stop moving!” Bryce snapped. “Or I’ll kill you and make  _ sure _ you stop moving.”

The woman whimpered and slowly lowered her hands to her sides. She stared at Nico with round, wet gray eyes.  _ Please _ , they told him,  _ don’t do this. _ And Nico didn’t have any plans to. Bryce couldn’t force him to drink her blood.

Bryce pulled on her hair, forcing her head to tilt back and exposing her neck. Nico could see the pulse of her blood beneath her skin, and he turned his eyes away. He heard as Bryce bit down into her neck, and the woman gave out a scream. Nico flinched. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want to be in any part of this.

“Nico,” Bryce breathed. “Your turn.”

Nico didn’t look up. He refused to play any role in Bryce’s games. He hated hearing that woman scream, and he didn’t want to make her suffer. Not anymore than she already had. But the smell of blood met his nose, and his fangs sharpened instinctively. Nico tightened his lips, trying to shut out the ache and the hunger.

“Nico, you’re going to drink from her,” Bryce stated, more firmly.

Nico looked up with a look of defiance in his eyes. He tried not to look at the woman or the blood spilling from her neck. He locked his eyes on Bryce.

“Get her away from me, Bryce!” Nico spat.

Bryce just shrugged. “She’s of no use to me if you don’t drink from her. So if you don’t, I’ll have no choice but to kill her.”

Nico snarled. His fangs hurt. How did things come to this? Then Bryce pushed the woman forward, shoving her neck right into Nico’s face. Nico tried to pull away, but he didn’t have much mobility with his hands tied up. He turned his face away the best he could, but with the blood this close to his face, he couldn’t stop the throbbing in his fangs or the burning in his stomach.

Then Bryce grabbed his face and forced it into her neck. Nico squeezed his eyes close and shut his mouth, trying to resist. But he could feel the blood on his lips, and the hot, sweet taste found its way into his mouth.

“I  _ will _ kill her, Nico,” Bryce threatened.

The woman started crying.

“Please, just drink,” she whispered. “I don’t want to die.”

And he knew it wasn’t proper consent. He knew it was said in fear of her life, and that coercion like this was no better than her begging him not to. But he didn’t want this woman to die, either. Nico couldn’t stop himself. He couldn’t take another moment to think. He knew that wasn’t all. He knew that’s why he couldn’t stop himself. It was the fire that spread through him and the burning in his teeth. It drove him over the edge, and he opened his mouth and bit down.

She screamed again. Nico had heard it. And a part of him hurt, really hurt, knowing what he was doing, but it was too late. There was a stronger, more primal part of him that wanted this. Needed this. And he drank her blood with desperate desire, relishing in its taste and the way it soothed him to his core. And as he swallowed mouthfuls, he wondered if he should stop. He wondered if he  _ could  _ stop. But his mind was fuzzy, and all he could really focus on was the blood in his mouth. And  _ fuck _ , it really did taste so good.

Then he felt the woman pull away from him. Nico’s teeth were yanked out of her neck, and he gave out another snarl. He opened his eyes and looked up to see that Bryce had dragged her away. He pressed his lips to her neck once more, and Nico couldn’t help but feel the burning jealousy that tore through him. That was  _ his _ blood, and  _ he  _ wanted to drink it. But then when Bryce pulled his head away, Nico realized that Bryce hadn’t continued drinking, but had healed her. He let go of the woman’s hair, and she fell to her knees in sobs.

“Had to heal her,” Bryce said. “Can’t have her bleeding out on us now, can we?”

Nico looked at him with eyes that burned with anger.

“Sorry I had to stop you,” he continued. “But if you drink her dry now, we won’t have any more left for later.”

Then Bryce approached him and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. He wiped Nico’s mouth clean and grinned.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” he taunted. “I would say, it looked like you were enjoying yourself.”

And then realization dawned on Nico, and he looked at the woman. What had he done? His inside twisted with guilt, and he stumbled backwards against the cement pole that he was chained to. He nearly killed her. He was  _ going _ to kill her, had Bryce not stopped him. Nico felt like he was going to throw up.

Bryce said nothing more. He instead turned around and grabbed hold of the woman once again. He guided her up the stairs and out of sight. Nico fell to his knees. Everything he’d worked so hard for was being taken from him, and there was nothing he could do about it.

  
  
  


-Will-

Two days passed, and Will hadn’t heard anything from Nico. His anxiety had blown up into full on panic. Will tried calling him and texting him several times, but his calls were always met with a voicemail and his texts went unanswered. There was no news about any vampire being captured again, so he knew Nico wasn’t in the hands of those scientists. He needed to accept the inevitable. Nico had run, and he was not coming back. Will huffed a sigh and sat back on his couch. How had things come to this? It seemed that just as they had started to figure things out, just as they’d agreed that they could work things out and be together, Nico got scared and took off.

Will knew he couldn’t really blame Nico. After everything he’d faced during his capture, he understood why Nico wouldn’t want to risk it all again. He’d just wished that Nico would call or text him back. To let him know that he was okay or that he’d come back eventually or  _ something _ . This nothingness and unknown was proving to be all too great for Will.

Then Will’s phone gave a short ding. It wasn’t a text, but a notification. He opened his phone to see he’d received a Facebook message from someone he didn’t know. There was no profile picture, and Will didn’t recognize the name at first. Hazel Levesque. But as he read it a second time, he realized although  _ he _ didn’t know a Hazel, Nico did. He wondered if it were the same person and opened the message.

Hazel Levesque:  _ you’re nico di angelo’s friend, right? i want to make sure i’m messaging the right will solace before i say anything _

There was nothing else there to give Will any indication of what she might be messaging him about. So he decided to answer and see what was going on.

Will Solace:  _ yes, i am. why?  _

She answered almost immediately.

Hazel Levesque:  _ have you heard from him at all? he was supposed to call me back two days ago, and i’ve been texting and calling him, but i haven’t heard anything. i just want to make sure he’s okay _

Will Solace:  _ i haven’t heard from him either. i thought he might have left _

Hazel Levesque:  _ i don’t think so. i’ve been begging him to come to greece, but everytime i ask, he refuses. if he did run, i don’t know where else he would’ve come but here. and he’s definitely not here _

Panic rose in Will’s chest. So Nico hadn’t run then? Then where was he? His hands started to shake as he typed a reply.

Will Solace:  _ i’ll see if i can find him. do you want to send me a friend request so we can keep in touch? _

Hazel Levesque:  _ i actually just made this account to contact you, and i’m going to be deleting it right after our conversation. it’s not really smart for people like me and nico to have social media accounts _

Will Solace:  _ okay what about text? _

Hazel Levesque:  _ that’s fine. _

She sent Will a follow up message with her phone number. Will saved it into his phone and sent her a quick text to let her know it was him. He stood up and started pacing the room, racking his brain for what could have happened to Nico. Something was wrong. It had to be. Nico wouldn’t just abandon him  _ and  _ Hazel, which meant, wherever he was, he was somewhere where he couldn’t contact them. But where could that be?

He reminded himself that he couldn’t have been captured. Surely, with all of the hype of the second vampire’s victims, there would have been news if another vampire had been captured. That, or his father would have told him. Then Will realized, there  _ was _ a second vampire in the city. Maybe they had something to do with Nico’s disappearance. But where would that leave Will? How was he supposed to track a vampire? If the authorities didn’t know where he was and the bounty hunters hadn’t found him yet, what chance did he have? Then Will realized he had one advantage that they didn’t. He had Nico. And even if Nico wasn’t there with him, he could still figure something out that way. An idea struck him.

Despite the fact that it was one of the last things he wanted to do, he knew he wasn’t left with much of a choice. Will pulled out his phone and called Cecil. After a few rings, his friend answered.

“Hello?” Cecil asked.

“Hey Cecil, are you busy?”

“Nah, just hanging out with Lou Ellen at my place. What’s up?”

“I need your help with something.”

“What is it?” Cecil asked.

Will hesitated. He did not want to explain everything over the phone. “Can I come over? I’ll explain when I’m there.”

“Sure thing. We’ll see you soon.”

Will didn’t wait another moment longer after he hung up to leave. He didn’t even bother grabbing his jacket as he shoved his feet into his boots and headed out the door. He waited outside in the cold, hailed a cab, and got in, giving the driver directions to Cecil’s apartment. Once he was there, he called Cecil to let him know, and it seemed like Cecil took for-absolutely-ever to answer the door. He opened the door, in no rush at all, smiling at Will.

“Hey, dude, come on in.”

Will stepped inside, and the two made their way up to Cecil’s apartment. As they walked, Cecil asked him what was going on, but Will said he wanted to wait until they were inside before explaining. They entered Cecil’s apartment and saw Lou Ellen, sitting on the couch, doing something on her phone. She looked up at him and smiled, but when she saw the expression on his face, it quickly dropped.

“What’s wrong, Will?” she asked.

“Yeah, honestly, you’re starting to scare me,” Cecil added.

Will walked into the living room and sat down on the couch beside Lou Ellen. “It’s Nico. He’s missing.”

“Missing?” she repeated. “Are you sure he didn’t just ghost you?”

“No, he’s definitely missing. One of his friends just messaged me earlier. She hasn’t heard from him either.”

“Well, if that’s the case, have you called the police?”

Will paled. “I can’t.”

“Why not?” Lou Ellen looked confused. “Oh my gods, Will. You’re not telling me you’re creepy stalker boyfriend is into some illegal shit, are you?”

“No!” Will answered. He put his head in his hands. He didn’t know how he was going to begin to explain this. “Just, can you guys trust me on this and help? I don’t have anyone else I can turn to.”

“What are we supposed to even be able to do?” Cecil asked, joining them on the couch.

“Cecil, you’re kind of a hacker, right? I need you to… track his phone?” Will suggested. “I need to know where he is.”

Cecil looked at him as if he’d lost every sense of reality. “Will… I’m not going to track your boyfriend’s phone.”

“But something is wrong,” Will insisted. “Seriously wrong.”

“Will, can you just tell us what’s going on?” Lou Ellen pressed. “Neither of us are going to help you if you continue to keep us in the dark about this.”

“Shit,” Will cursed under his breath.

He knew there really was no getting around this. He really couldn’t expect Cecil to hack into Nico’s phone if he didn’t tell them  _ why _ . They needed to understand the gravity of the situation. That Nico could be in danger. That he could be  _ hurt _ . He just really,  _ really _ didn’t want to tell them. But he knew, as Lou Ellen said, he’d been keeping them in the dark. And if he wanted them to trust him, he supposed he should give them a little bit of trust back.

“Okay,” Will sighed, sitting back on the couch. He couldn’t lift his eyes to their faces. “So… remember that vampire that was captured and then escaped? Well… that’s Nico.”

There was a beat of silence, and Will forced himself to look up to see their reactions. They both looked confused and in disbelief, and then after a second, Lou Ellen’s expression changed to worry.

“Will, he  _ killed _ people.”

“No, no,” Will tried to explain. “That wasn’t him. There’s a second vampire—”

“There’s a second freaking vampire?!” Cecil exclaimed. “Are you kidding me?”

“Yes, there’s a second vampire, and whoever they are, I’m pretty sure they’re the reason why the reporter is missing and the two men are dead,” Will continued. “I know it wasn’t Nico. He only drinks from blood bags, and he was with me on Christmas when those two men were killed…”

“Shit, Will,” Lou Ellen said. And it was rare to hear her swear. “This is bad.”

“I  _ know _ it’s bad, Lou. That’s why I need your help,” Will insisted. “I think whoever this other vampire is is the reason why Nico’s missing.”

“I  _ cannot believe  _ I am going to be helping in a supernatural vampire kidnapping investigation!” Cecil grinned.

“Oh my gods, Cecil,” Lou Ellen scorned. “Get a hold of yourself.” Then she looked back at Will. “And are we just going to skip over the fact that your boyfriend is a vampire?! Do you realize how actually entirely  _ stupid  _ you are?!”

Will groaned. “This is why I didn’t want to tell you guys.”

“Are you kidding me? This is, like, the best day of my life,” Cecil interrupted. Then he looked to Will with an awkward expression. “Well, except for the fact that your vampire boyfriend is missing.”

“So, are you going to help me?” Will asked.

“Duh!” Cecil stood up. “I owe you one anyways after what happened during my Hanukkah party.”

A wave of relief washed over Will. “Thank you.”

Lou Ellen looked uncomfortable, but decided not to say anything at first. It wasn’t until Cecil had gone to his room to get his laptop that she turned to Will.

“Are you being safe?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Like really safe?”

“Yes, Lou.”

“I want to believe you, but you are also planning on tracking down Nico, which could lead you right into the hands of a killer.”

Will grimaced. “Fair point.”

“You really like Nico, don’t you?”

“I do.”

Lou Ellen sat back with a sigh. “I guess this puts everything into perspective at least. All of your secrecy, and him not coming to Cecil’s party.”

“I guess it does,” Will agreed, awkwardly.

Before either of them could say anything else, Cecil returned to the living room, carrying his laptop. He looked way over excited considering the circumstances. But he was helping, and that’s all Will could ask for. Cecil sat down, opened his laptop, and started typing.

“What’s his phone number?” Cecil asked. “And his service provider?”

Will gave him Nico’s information that he knew. Cecil opened up a program that looked to be a completely foreign language to Will. He had no idea what his friend was doing or how he was doing it, he was just grateful that he was. It took him a few minutes of clicking around and typing, but he finally looked up at Will with a grin. Will glanced at Cecil’s screen. He’d actually managed to pin Nico’s location.

Will exhaled. He studied the aerial view of the map. It looked like Nico was still in the city and not far from here. Will didn’t know what he was going to do, but he stood up, regardless.

“So, we’re going then?” Cecil asked. “To rescue your vampire boyfriend?”

“Absolutely not,” Will said. “I’m going alone.”

Cecil looked disappointed. “What kind of friend’s would we be if we abandoned you now?”

“It could be dangerous, Cee,” Will said. “And it’s bad enough that I have to go. I’m not dragging you two into this with me. If something were to happen to you, I’d never forgive myself.”

“And what if something happens to  _ you _ ?” Lou Ellen argued. “Are we just supposed to sit back and hope that everything’s okay?”

“I was the one who decided to date a vampire,” Will said. “I knew the risk, and this risk is mine to take, and mine alone. I can’t drag you any deeper into this than I already have.”

“Will…” Lou Ellen trailed off.

“Keeping all the fun to yourself, I see,” Cecil added. Then his expression turned serious. “Just be careful, Will. Seriously.”

“I will be.”

Will started toward the door.

“Let us know if anything happens, okay?” Lou Ellen called after him.

“Of course.”

“Be safe!” she added.

Will nodded and started out of the door. He didn’t know what he was going to do from here, but he knew he needed to  _ help _ . Whatever it took, he was going to find Nico. And he’d be damned if he let anything get in his way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 Oof! Lots going on here. Horrifying what Bryce is doing. But Cecil and Lou Ellen finally know! I figured Cecil's clauditiskinesis would/could translate to him being a hacker lol. Anyways, kudos and comments are appreciated! :)


	25. Plans

-Nico-

It’d been days, and Nico didn’t know how much longer he could bear this. He was completely at Bryce’s mercy. Ever since they’d arrived, Bryce had been forcing him to drink that woman’s blood. He never took too much, never enough to kill her, and Bryce usually waited a few hours between feedings before dragging her back to the basement again. But it was taking a toll on her body. Nico could tell. All of her fear and her fight had diminished into nothingness. She was weak, and all of her energy just went toward surviving. Nico wasn’t sure how much longer she had.

Then there was Bryce. Nico hated him. Really fucking hated him. He was unraveling Nico at the seams, bringing out his worst self, and there was nothing Nico could do about it. By the time Bryce was through, Nico feared he’d never get a grip on his control again. And that meant he could never see Will again. That thought alone was crushing.

And right now, Bryce sat across from Nico in the basement on a folding chair. He had Nico’s phone in his hand, and he was smiling to himself.

“You’ve been getting a lot of calls and texts,” Bryce mused, scrolling through Nico’s phone. “A bunch from Will and a bunch from Hazel. It seems they’re worried about you.”

“Stop going through my phone,” Nico threatened. Why couldn’t Bryce just leave him alone?

But Bryce just ignored him and kept scrolling.

“I think I’ve met Hazel before. Levesque, right?” he looked up at Nico. “But I’ve never heard of this Will before.”

Nico froze. He didn’t want Will’s name in Bryce’s mouth. He didn’t want Bryce to know of Will—nothing that could even potentially put Will in danger.

“Is he a human?” Bryce raised a brow.

Nico glared at him.

“He seems to really care about you.  _ Nico, are you okay? _ ” Bryce started reading his messages aloud. “ _ I’m worried about you. Text me when you can. Nico, are you there? Are you safe?  _ Wow, they’re some really clingy friends. It’s been what? Three days?”

“Stop going through my phone,” Nico repeated.

“Do you want me to text then back? Let them know you’re okay?”

“Don’t you dare talk to them.”

Bryce frowned. “Here I was, thinking I was being nice, keeping your phone charged for you, and that’s all you have to say?

“Just let it die.” Nico’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t need you scrolling through my phone or texting my friends. Just  _ stop _ .”

“Seems like someone is in a bad mood.” Bryce shrugged and put Nico’s phone onto a charger and set it on the small table beside him. “Are you already hungry again?”

“No!” Nico snapped.

And though he said one thing, his fangs said another. They sharpened just at the mention of feeding again. Nico cursed under his breath, trying to get them under control. But it was too late. Bryce had already seen his fangs, and he was grinning.

“Let’s take care of that, shall we?” Bryce said and stood up.

Nico was quick to protest, but Bryce acted as though he hadn’t heard him. He traveled back up the basement steps and disappeared.

“Fuck,” Nico cursed again.

He really didn’t know what he was going to do about this. There didn’t seem to be an end to the madness. Bryce was turning him into a monster, and he hated it. Hated him. And knowing that Will and Hazel were both trying to contact him, that they were both worried, made things so much worse. Although he didn’t want them to worry any longer, he also didn’t want Bryce to tell them that he was okay. He wasn’t. He was far from it. 

Nico wondered what Will and Hazel were thinking. He feared that Will thought he’d just abandoned him. That he left the city upon the news of the two dead bounty hunters with no plans to return or contact him again. And what of Hazel? She  _ had _ to know something was wrong, right? She was also a vampire, so there was no reason for him to ignore her. Hopefully, she could piece together what was going on. Hopefully, she could help him.

But despite everything he thought and wished, he knew there was no way of knowing for sure. He was stuck here with Bryce, chained in the basement like an animal and being forced to drink blood from a woman who didn’t look like she could hold on much longer. He just wished there was something he could  _ do _ about it.

Then Bryce returned, tearing Nico out of his thoughts. He had the woman in his grip. She didn’t look well. Her red curls were matted and damp with grease, and her gray eyes were lost of any light of life. She didn’t resist anymore, having succumbed to her fate of being reduced to a breathing, walking, bloody meal for vampires. It made Nico’s stomach turn. He really felt sick. He really didn’t want to do this anymore.

But Bryce lacked any empathy or morals. He didn’t see her the same way Nico did. He only saw the human as a lesser being, meant to supply blood to vampires. He didn’t care that she had a life and a heartbeat and fear and goals and dreams. No. He saw her for her blood, and that was it. He walked over to Nico with the woman still in his grip. He offered her up to him.

“I can’t do this anymore,” Nico said, ignoring his fangs which had already come out at the sight of her. He felt no better than Pavlov’s dog, conditioned to salivate at the ring of a bell. “She’s too weak, Bryce. She’ll die.”

“Not my problem now, is it?” Bryce answered, unamused. “We’ve been over this, Nico. If you refuse to drink from her, I’ll kill her.”

“If I take any more blood from her,  _ I’ll _ kill her.”

“So either way she’s dead.” He shrugged. “You might as well get a feeding out of it.”

Nico ground his teeth together. He wasn’t going to do this. He wasn’t going to kill someone. Bryce rolled his eyes. He pulled the woman’s head back and took a bite into her neck. She barely gave so much as a whimper. He took a few small sips before shoving her toward Nico.

“I’m not drinking from her,” Nico hissed.

“Oh yes, you are.”

And he forced Nico’s head to her throat. She stilled beneath his mouth, and blood continued to pour from her neck. He tried, he really tried, not to drink. But the smell was too strong and the taste was there, and his fangs bit into her on their own. Nico only took a mouthful. Then another. And then he forced himself to pull away, unable to bear this any longer. His fangs ached at the sudden loss of their blood source, and his eyes began to wetten.

By the time Bryce pulled the woman away from Nico, she was deathly pale, void of a color. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her lips were cracked. She fell to her knees, unable to stand any longer. And Nico knew what was happening. She was dying.

“She’s no good to us like this,” Bryce frowned. “Oh well.”

And before Nico could process what was happening, before he could say anything, Bryce grabbed the sides of the woman’s head and snapped her neck.

  
  


-Will-

Will left Cecil’s apartment and walked back home. He didn’t bother taking a cab because he needed both time and space to think about what he needed to do next. Nico was still in the city, that was good to know. Although Will wasn’t familiar with the area he was in, Cecil was able to pinpoint an address, and that was as good of a start as any. Now he just needed to figure out what he exactly planned to do once he was there.

He wasn’t about to storm in with metaphorical guns blazing to rescue Nico. Not when he had no idea who the other vampire was and if he was in there. All that Will knew was that the second vampire was  _ dangerous _ , and Will needed to tread lightly. He knew there was no point in bringing any weapons, either. Vampires were immortal, and from what he’d seen done to Nico, he knew they healed relatively quickly. The only thing that might do him some good, from what he understood, were tranquilizers. But he had no idea how or where he would get those, so he knew he’d have to go in empty handed.

It was far from ideal.

But at least he’d been able to talk Cecil and Lou Ellen out of coming. As much as he wished he had back up and support in this, he also refused to put either of them in any sort of danger. It was bad enough having them involved in order to get Nico’s location. He didn’t want to push the situation any further. Also, there was a part of him, admittedly, that was relieved they both knew now. Their reactions were pretty much as he expected, but they took the news rather well. Now, he didn’t have to worry about lying to them or hiding anything from them anymore. It was all out in the open. All he had to do was move forward.

And moving forward, he had two objectives:

  1. Find Nico
  2. Avoid the second vampire at all costs



After a while, Will finally arrived back at his apartment. He walked upstairs and paced around, still unsure of what his plan was. And maybe that was that. Maybe there  _ was _ no plan to be had. Maybe he just needed to show up and improvise. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that that was the only option he had.

So that was the plan, or lack thereof. Will sighed.

With everything and nothing ready, Will decided to put on his jacket this time before he left his apartment once more and headed in the direction that Nico’s phone had pinned him at. As he walked, he wondered what this other vampire even wanted with Nico, or if the other vampire was even involved at all. He figured they must be, for Nico to go missing without a word. No other alternative made sense. But what could they possibly want with Nico? The more Will wondered about it, the less it made sense.

The second vampire was the reason behind the missing reporter and the death of the two men. Even if Will didn’t agree with the second vampire’s methods, it seemed like the outcome was to Nico’s benefit. In a sick, twisted way, he was helping Nico—well, at least… avenging him? So if he had Nico, what was he doing with him? And why wouldn’t Nico contact him or Hazel to let them know what was going on?

_ Shit _ .  _ Hazel. _ Will remembered he’d promised to update her. As he walked, he pulled out his phone and sent a text.

Will:  _ i think i might have an idea of where nico is. i’m going there now to check it out _

Hazel:  _ where is he? _

Will:  _ still in the city _

Hazel:  _ omgs, do you think he’s okay? _

Will:  _ honestly, i have no idea. i think this might have something to do with there being another vampire in the city _

Hazel:  _ oh yeah. nico called me in hysterics the day after christmas about it _

Will:  _ do yo know who they are? are they dangerous? _

Hazel:  _ no clue. but i should be able to find out if you give me a few hours _

Will thought it over for a moment before responding. He knew it was probably stupid, that he should go into this with as much information as possible, but he also didn’t want to make Nico wait any longer. If he were hurt...

Will:  _ no, that’s fine. i’m going there now. i can’t wait any longer _

Hazel:  _ okay be safe. i wish i was there right now to help. nico is lucky to have you. _

Will:  _ i will be and thanks. he’s lucky to have you too _

Eventually, Will turned onto the street that Nico was. The sun was beginning to set overhead, and it was starting to get dark out. He picked up his pace, checking out the numbers on the building until he was close. And what if Nico weren’t there? What if he’d left his phone behind? Will shook his head and refused to think the worst. Nico  _ had _ to be there. His phone was still on, afterall, and that was a good sign. Nico probably had to be with his phone in order to keep in charged. Will inhaled deeply. He looked at the next building and recognized the number. This was it. He was here. So now what?

Will decided it probably wasn’t a good look to stand outside, staring at the building. Especially if he didn’t know if the second vampire was there. So, he crossed the street and ducked into the nearest alleyway to wait. Will knew that was really the only one thing he could do. Wait. He needed to wait until things were clear and safe for him to go inside. From what he could see, the building was abandoned. It looked like it might have once been an old bar, but in all honesty, it was really hard to tell. The windows were boarded up, and the concrete steps leading up to the front door were cracked. It did seem like the perfect place for a vampire to hide. If anything, it was almost too obvious.

Will waited in the alleyway outside of the abandoned building for another hour, trying to figure out what he was going to do next. The sun had finally finished setting, and darkness fell over the city. Will was cold and grateful that it just wasn’t snowing. He supposed there really was nothing else he could do, so he decided he would just have to go in. Just as Will started to go, the front door of the building opened.

He watched as a shadow of a figure stepped out, carrying someone in his arms. It was dark, and for a second, Will feared that whoever that was, they were carrying Nico—that Nico was  _ hurt _ —but then he realized whoever was behind carried had long curly hair, and he relaxed. It wasn’t Nico. But then, who was it? And as the shadowy figure started down the sidewalk, the arm of the person who was carrying fell limp by their side. And then Will realized. Whoever it was that was being carried—they were dead.

Will’s heart plummeted to his stomach. If that person was dead, then the shadowy figure was probably the second vampire. From what Will could tell in the dark, he seemed to be a man, and he must be pretty strong if he was carrying another adult, but Will really couldn’t see anything else well enough to guess how old he was or put a face to his name. If there was one good thing that came of this, it was that this second vampire was leaving. And Nico wasn’t with him. So Nico must still be inside.

Will watched and waited as the other vampire unlocked the trunk of a car and lifted it open. Then he set the body in the trunk of a car. Will felt sick. Really sick. And it took all of his self-control not to empty the contents of his stomach out in the alleyway. Then the vampire closed the trunk and walked around to the front of the car. Will stood still, hidden in the shadows, until the car finally drove off and disappeared around the corner of the street.

“It’s now or never,” Will whispered to himself under his breath.

He forced himself to move. He crossed the street toward the abandoned building. Once outside of the door, he twisted the knob, tentatively, but it opened with ease. Will stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Everything was dark. Could Nico really be here? Will didn’t want to risk calling out in case there was anyone else around. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself, so instead, he decided to search.

As it turned out, it was an old bar, so there wasn’t much for him to inspect. Some of the tables sat there with chairs sitting upside-down on top of them, while others were toppled over. He went behind the bar but wasn’t surprised to find that there was nothing there. Will went room to room. He checked the walk in freezer, the two storage rooms, and the kitchen before heading upstairs. There were a few rooms, which he could only guess were guest rooms of some sort. Two of them looked lived in, with their messy beds and dents in the pillows, but they were otherwise empty. Maybe Nico really  _ wasn’t _ here.

Will headed back downstairs. He was about to give up when he realized there was a door at the bottom of the stairs that he hadn’t checked yet. He opened the door to see a set of stairs that led down into the basement. Will fought the urge to turn on the light. He really didn’t want to be checking out a creepy basement in the dark of an abandoned building. But he also knew he needed to be careful, so he decided against it. Will started down the stairs.

Once he was halfway down, he looked around. He saw there was someone laying on the ground with their back turned toward him. Will froze. He squinted his eyes in the dark. He saw long black hair, and he recognized his frame.

He found him.  _ Nico. _

Will was about to run over when he realized Nico wasn’t moving. That fear alone was enough to stop him where he stood. Nico couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t be. It took everything he had, but he forced himself to move. Will started back up the steps, where he hit the light switch. They were alone. It would be all right. He inhaled before starting back down the stairs into the basement.

_ Please _ , Will’s thoughts were pleading _ , please let him be okay. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 Kind of a hard chapter to write, getting into the nitty-gritty of murder. I feel gross. I'll post one more chapter today because... well, you'll see. Kudos and comments are always appreciated :)


	26. Undone

-Nico-

Nico heard someone enter the room, and he groaned. He didn’t want to see Bryce. He didn’t want to do this anymore. And although his thoughts said one thing, his fangs said another. They wanted to feed. To drink. To taste blood.

“Nico?” a voice spoke.

Nico sat up and turned around. He knew that voice. It was Will.

_ Will. _

He couldn’t believe it. How was he here? How did he find him? And seeing Will again, any doubt or fear or hesitation was snuffed. He was okay now.

“Will….” Nico forced himself to his feet. “How?”

Will crossed the room. “Cecil helped me hack your phone to get your location.”

“Oh?”

“I’ll explain later. Right now we need to get you out of here,” Will said. “Where are the keys?”

Nico gestured over to the far wall. “Over there.”

Will turned around and made his way over to where the keys hung on a hook. He grabbed a hold of them and rushed over.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” Nico said. “I can’t believe you’re saving me. Again.”

Nico turned around so that Will could undo the lock. He heard the lock click and the chains fell from his wrists before hitting the ground in a loud  _ clank. _

Nico whipped around to face Will. Will pulled Nico in close to him, wrapped his arms around him tightly and squeezing him with all the security of the world. He ran one of his hands through Nico’s hair. Nico sank into his weight and nuzzled in close. Will was here. He was safe. Will had saved him. Again.

“It’s going to be okay,” Will whispered into Nico’s hair, reassuringly. “You’re safe now.”

But then Nico could barely hear him. The words sounded like a distant echo in his mind. All he could hear was the pounding of Will’s heart and the blood pulsing beneath his skin. And with his face so close to Will’s neck, he could practically see and smell the flow of blood. His heart started to race, and his teeth sharpened to fangs. And his mind screamed at him to stop, but his fangs ached with a burning feeling so much louder. He closed his eyes and bit down.

He heard a scream in his ear, but the sound was muted by the pulse of blood, and Nico sunk his fangs in deeper. And then he felt a set of hands pushing against him, and he could feel the struggle as the other tried to pull back. But with the sweet taste of blood in his mouth, surging through him, Nico didn’t care. He let the blood strengthen him, and he gripped the others shoulders. The more he struggled, the harder Nico bit down. And he drank and drank until his head swarmed with warmth.

“Nico, stop!” the other screamed.

Another push. Nico held on tighter. He was not going to let this go. Not with the taste of blood in his mouth, filling him, and spreading through him like fire.

“It’s me, Will! You have to  _ stop. _ ”

_ Will _ , Nico thought briefly, but the name disappeared from his thoughts almost as soon as it came. He was so caught up with the absolute ecstasy of feeding, he didn’t have time to think. For now he wanted this and only this.

“Nico! Please! You’re going to _kill_ _me._ ”

And then Nico had a moment of clarity. He was going to kill Will.  _ Will!  _ And then suddenly Nico realized what he was doing, and he ripped his fangs out of Will’s neck, and Will let out another screaming cry. Nico stumbled backwards, blood dripping down his chin. And Will stood before him, tears streaming down his face and his neck bleeding profusely, running down his jacket.

“Oh gods, Will, I’m so sorry.” Nico stepped back in horror. “I’m so sorry. What have I done? I fucked up. I’m so, so sorry.”

Nico’s whole body started shaking. He’d finally snapped. He’d lost control. He’d  _ hurt Will.  _ Will just stared at him, his blue eyes round with terror. His hand was clamped over the side of his neck, and blood was starting to seep through the spaces between his fingers.

“Fuck! Will, I need to heal you.”

Will took a step back, and Nico could see the tremble in his legs.

“Will, you’re bleeding. A lot. I need to heal you before you lose too much blood.”

“N-no,” Will stammered.

“I won’t hurt you again, okay? I promise.”

“Don’t come near me.”

"Will, I have to. You’re going to bleed out.”

But Will took another step back. He was too scared. He was too scared of him.  _ Fuck. What did I do?  _ Will was bleeding because of him, and he could risk bleeding out because he was too scared of him. He was going to die if Nico didn’t do something soon. And Nico knew what he had to do. And he hated it. He needed to heal Will, whether Will liked it or not.

Nico took a step toward him. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

And before he gave Will the chance to answer, Nico ran toward him. He tackled Will back up against the wall. Will started shouting, but Nico ignored it. He pried Will’s hands from his neck, feeling guilty that Will’s blood had given him the strength to overpower him so easily. And Will tried to wriggle free, to pull away, but Nico pushed up onto his toes and pressed his mouth against Will’s neck.

But having Will’s blood on his lips, spilling into his mouth, made his fangs hungry for more. It was so hot and so sweet, and in that moment, Nico wanted nothing more than to keep drinking it. Maybe Will could survive a little bit more—

_ No.  _ Nico stopped himself. He squeezed his eyes closed, trying to shut out the desire. He had to heal Will and fast. He opened his mouth and ran his tongue over the wounds he’d placed in Will’s neck. He tasted the blood as he did so, and his fangs seemed to cry out desperately in response. His mind screamed to ignore them, and he forced himself to pull back, off of Will. That should be enough. Will should be okay now.

Nico took a few steps back.

Will immediately scrambled against the wall, realizing he couldn’t get any farther back from Nico if he tried. He pressed his hand to his neck, and Nico was relieved to see no more blood poured through his fingers. All the blood he saw was wet, but it was still. The wound was closed.

But then there was Will. Will, who looked completely horrified. His blue eyes were wide, and his jaw trembled, and he was covered in his own blood.

“I’m so sorry, Will,” Nico tried again. He didn’t know what else to say.

“Why did you do that?” Will panicked. “Why did you do that to me?”

“Shit. Will. I didn’t mean to. I wasn’t thinking.”

“You almost  _ killed me. _ ”

Will wobbled. His skin looked pale, and Nico wondered how much blood he’d actually lost. Was he going to be okay?

“Will, how do you feel?” Nico dared to ask. “Are you okay? Do you feel light-headed? Do you need to sit down?”

“Shit, Nico. I don’t know. I really don’t feel good.”

“We need to get you to a hospital.”

“No,” Will backed off. “There is no ‘we.’ You need to stay the fuck away from me.”

Nico raised a hand. “Will, you have to let me help you.”

“Get away from me!” Will shouted.

Then Will’s eyes fell closed, and he started to fall. Nico ran forward, catching Will in his arms before he hit the ground. He looked at Will. He was unconscious.

“Fuck,” Nico cursed.

He picked Will up in his arms using the remaining strength that Will’s blood had given him and carried him upstairs. He set Will down on the ground and dug through the pocket of Will’s jacket and called an ambulance. When the caller asked him their location, he suddenly realized he had no idea where they were. He ran outside and looked at the building number and the street name and relayed the information over.

Nico returned to the building and stayed with Will, holding him in his arms and ignoring the aching of his fangs the best that he could as he did so. When he could hear the sirens of the ambulance approaching, he pulled away from Will.

“I’m so sorry.” He gave Will a kiss on his forehead.

And then Nico ran out of the building as fast as he could.

  
  
  


-Will-

Will awoke to the small beeping of a monitor. He slowly opened his eyes and saw white. It took him a few blinks to register exactly where he was. The hospital. Then the memory of what happened, Nico biting into him and draining him of his blood, flooded forward, sending Will into a full on panicked frenzy. He clutched the sheets of the hospital bed, his eyes tearing over the room, looking for any sign of Nico.

But the vampire wasn’t there. Outside of his door, he saw two police officers stationed there.  _ Okay, _ he thought,  _ I’m safe.  _ He started to relax. His throat felt dry and parched, and he looked over to the bedside table to see a water bottle waiting there for him. He unscrewed the cap and took a few light sips, letting the water dribble down the sides of his mouth and not caring. When he was finished, he looked around some more. He was hooked up to an IV. Will frowned. At least he was alive.

He didn’t remember getting here. All he remembered was Nico attacking him. They’d argued. Then nothing. It was all a blank. He must’ve passed out from the blood loss. At least Nico had the decency to get him to a hospital. Will inhaled. What had even happened? Why would Nico attack him like that? Nico had never done anything to hurt Will before. It was as though he’d become someone else completely.

Just then, Will’s father stormed in through the door. His face was twisted with distraught and worry, and he looked as though he hadn’t slept the night before. His father closed the door behind him and walked over to Will.

“How are you feeling?” he asked. “You lost a lot of blood.”

Will screwed his mouth shut, unsure of what to say.

“I read all of the reports and looked over you myself. When the EMTs came to pick you up, they found you unconscious. They couldn’t figure out what was wrong with you until they took your blood pressure and found you barely had a pulse. We had to do a blood transfusion on you. If you’d arrived any later than you did, you would have…” he swallowed, unable to say the words. “You wouldn’t have made it.”

“Dad, I’m so sorry,” Will managed to say.

His dad placed his hand on the side of Will’s head giving him a kiss on the crown of his head. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m just relieved you’re okay.”

After a moment, his father added, “What happened?"

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Will answered.

“It was the vampire you’re dating, wasn’t it?” His father pressed.

“I didn’t say that.”

“Well, I know it wasn’t the second vampire. The assault doesn’t add up. His first victims had their blood completely drained with wounds on their neck. You’re still alive and don’t have so much as a scratch,” his father concluded. “Why are you protecting him?”

“Dad, I really don’t want to talk about it.”

“Well, you’re going to have to eventually. The police are here, and they want to question you.”

Will groaned. “Great. Then I’ll just tell them I don’t remember anything.”

His father frowned. “Will… he nearly killed you.”

“I’m aware of that!” Will snapped. “Please. Just leave me alone so I can think.”

“I’m going to send the officers in now.”

“Knock yourself out,” Will muttered sarcastically.

And then his father left the room. No sooner had he left than two detectives entered the room. Will resisted the urge to roll his eyes. As angry as he was with Nico, and as admittedly scared as he was, he wasn’t about to turn the other back into their hands. Too much had happened, and he needed to figure things out for himself before making any decisions on what to do moving forward.

The detectives asked him every question under the sun, to which Will repeatedly told them he couldn’t remember anything. They asked how he ended up at the abandoned building he was at, to which he said he didn’t know. They asked about his attacker, to which he said he didn’t know. They asked if he could remember if the attacker was male or female, or their voice, or their smell, and Will insisted he must have already blacked out by then because he had absolutely no clue. All he told him was one moment he was walking down the street to get some fresh air, and the next thing he knew, he woke up in the hospital.

To say the detectives were dissatisfied with his answers was putting it lightly. They knew he was lying, and they all but said so. When they mentioned surveying his apartment and checking his phone records, Will told him he was just happy to be alive, and he didn’t want his life intruded upon anymore. He told them to drop the investigation and that he wouldn’t be pressing charges. He wanted all of this in the past behind him.

When they realized they weren’t getting anywhere with Will, the two of them finally gave up. They thanked him for his time and headed out of the room, closing the door behind them as they did so. Will laid back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. He was exhausted, and all he wanted to do was sleep. So he closed his eyes and let himself start to drift off when he heard the door to his hospital room open once more.

“What do you want?” Will growled, frustrated.

He opened his eyes and turned his head to see Cecil and Lou Ellen had come in. Both of them carried a bouquet of flowers,  _ again _ .

“Uh…. we can leave if you want,” Cecil said.

“Sorry,” Will muttered, sitting up. “I thought you were my dad.”

His friends walked over to him, setting the flowers down on the table. Lou Ellen sat at the end of his bed while Cecil took the chair.

“How are you feeling?” Lou Ellen asked, placing her hand on Will’s shin beneath the blanket.

“I’ll be honest, I’ve been better,” Will huffed.

“Your dad wouldn’t tell us anything,” Cecil commented. “Was it the second vampire?”

“Gods, Cecil,” Lou Ellen shot him a look. “We haven’t even been in here thirty seconds, and you’re already bringing that up?”

Cecil turned red and looked to Will. “I’m only asking because I’m scared for you!”

Will sighed. “It’s fine. I get it.”

And Will understood. He did. The last he’d talked to Cecil and Lou Ellen, he planned on going to save Nico. They knew the danger he was putting himself in. But that was all he said, not entertaining Cecil’s question. He certainly didn’t want to talk to what happened to him. He’d had enough vampire-talk to last him a lifetime and a half.

“I’m just glad you’re okay, dude,” Cecil added, quickly.

“Thanks. And thank you both for the flowers.”

Will’s phone suddenly buzzed on the table. He looked over to see what it was about.

Nico:  _ will, i can’t express to you how sorry i am. i never meant for anything like that to happen. please tell me you’re okay _

Will huffed and slammed his phone back down on the table.

“Who was that?” Lou Ellen asked.

“Nobody.”

“Well it seems Nobody sure managed to piss you off,” she commented.

“I just don’t want to talk to him right now, okay?”

“Oh. Was it Nico? You were able to find him?”

“Yeah,” Will answered.

“Is he coming to visit you?” Cecil asked.

“No.”

“But he knows you’re here, right?” Lou Ellen added.

“Can you guys just leave me alone?” Will snapped. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. “Shit. I’m sorry. I’ve just been through a lot. I just want to sleep.”

“Sorry,” they both murmured in response.

Lou Ellen stood up. “We’ll head out now. You should get some sleep.”

“Thank you,” Will sighed.

“Recover fast, dude.” Cecil said, standing up as well.

And then his two friends both left the room, and he was finally alone.  _ Thank the gods _ , Will thought. He was exhausted. He didn’t have the energy to deal with his father, or the detectives, or his friends, or Nico. Shit. He really didn’t have the energy to talk to Nico right now. He wanted nothing to do with him anymore. And as if on cue, he received a follow up text.

Nico:  _ i’m sorry if you’re sleeping right now, i don’t mean to disturb you. just text or call me when you can. i need to talk to you. i need to explain everything to you _

Will grabbed his phone.

Will:  _ leave me alone or i’ll block you _

He stared at the message he’d sent. He didn’t see Nico replying to his text.  _ Good _ , he thought. Will set his phone back on the table. He debated turning it off, or even following through with his threat and blocking Nico. But he knew he’d be acting on impulse if he did that and didn’t want to regret doing it later, so he decided against it. Then he received another text.

Nico:  _ i understand if you never want to talk to me or see me again. i don’t blame you. i can only imagine what you’re thinking and feeling right now. but please know i never wanted any of this to happen. i never wanted to hurt you. maybe it’s selfish of me to even want to explain things to you, but i need you to understand what happened because i don’t know what else to do _

Will saw that the other was still typing, so he didn’t bother replying himself. He watched as Nico typed and stopped, typed and stopped, and after ten minutes, the typing stopped altogether and no follow up text came. Apparently, whatever it was Nico had to say to explain himself, he must’ve figured it wasn’t worth saying. That, or he couldn’t figure out what to say.

It didn’t matter. Will didn’t plan on forgiving him for this. Will had come to his rescue, had come to  _ save _ him, and Nico nearly killed him in turn. There was no getting past that. Will decided it best to shut off his phone so that he could sleep without having to worry about anymore incoming texts. And when his screen stared back at him black, he set it back down on the table.

Will turned on his side toward the windows so that he didn’t have to see the officers standing outside of his door. When the exhaustion became too much and his thoughts diminished to impressions and then disappeared altogether, he finally drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 YIKES. We knew it was going to happen eventually right? But my poor Will T.T I don't have much more to say on this because my insides are basically ":( :( :(" ... Anyways, kudos and comments are always appreciated :)


	27. Gone

-Nico-

Nico sat in the airport gate area, waiting for his plane to depart. Two days had passed since everything had happened, and though he managed to control his fangs from coming out every time he even  _ look _ ed at a person, he still felt a burning hunger in his core. He knew it was dangerous for him to fly like this. To be in an enclosed space with hundreds of humans with no escape. But he needed to get the fuck out of here. And he had nowhere else to go but Greece.

So he’d come prepared the best he could. He bought his plane ticket in the first class section to give himself as much space from everyone else that he could, and he also brought sleeping medicine to take on the flight. He wouldn’t feel hungry if he were sleeping, right?

Nico pulled out his phone to check the time. His flight would be departing soon. In the meantime, he figured he’d text Hazel.

Nico:  _ everything looks like it’s going to be on time. no delays _

Hazel:  _ great! i’ll see you at 7 then! _

Nico had nothing more to say. He thought about texting her to tell him how difficult this was, how he already felt hungry even though he’d fed this morning, but he decided against it. They’d already been over this half a dozen times now, and he didn’t want to start getting under her skin by complaining about the same things over and over again. Nico sighed. With nothing else to do, his thoughts turned back to everything that had happened.

The first night after Nico called the ambulance for Will and left, Nico ran to an alleyway across the street. He knew he should’ve kept running. He knew, for his sake, he needed to put as much distance between himself and the building where he’d been held captive—again—as possible. But for Will’s sake, he couldn’t. He needed to stay to make sure that Will was going to be okay.

He’d cursed himself a thousand times over while he waited for the ambulance to arrive. He wished none of this had ever happened. He wished he could change things. But it seemed that no matter how desperately he willed or how deeply he pleaded, nothing changed. He had nearly killed Will, and there was still a very good chance he could still die if the ambulance didn’t hurry the fuck up.

Nico clenched his fists. There was one alternative. He could turn Will. It wasn’t too late for that. But he knew this wasn’t a life that Will wanted, and he wouldn’t drag Will into an eternity of suffering just because he didn’t want to live in a world without him. So Nico waited.

And finally he heard the sirens of the ambulance approaching, and eventually he saw as their trucks pulled onto the street and parked in front of the building. He watched as they brought out the stretcher and went inside. Though it realistically only took them a few minutes to get Will situated on the stretcher and in the back of the ambulance, it felt like forever. Nico’s heart raced as the ambulance started pulling away. And then the sirens turned back on, and he knew Will was still alive in there. Nico told himself that Will was going to make it. He couldn’t accept any other reality.

Once the ambulance was gone and could no longer be heard, Nico realized that he had no idea of where to go or what to do. He had nothing on him. No phone, no wallet, no keys. It was just him and the harsh night of the winter. It wasn’t his first time being alone, and it wasn’t his first time feeling helpless. But he knew one thing: he could survive this. Because he had to. Because he had no other choice.

He thought over his options several times. As much as he didn’t want to, he knew he needed to go back inside. His phone, wallet, and keys were all on the table in the basement where Bryce had stripped him from them. With a reluctant groan, he started back toward the building. He just needed to hurry up before Bryce got back.

When Nico was back inside, he resisted the urge to turn on his heel and run. But he needed his things. He went back down into the basement, and the stench of blood still clung to the air. Will’s blood. He wanted to gag. But he pulled the front of his sweater up over his nose, scooped up his things, and ran back up the stairs.

Nico went straight to a motel from there. He knew he couldn’t return back to his apartment with an ongoing investigation. And as he sat down on the bed, he was hit with a daunting reality: Everything with Will was ruined. It was over. He looked at his phone, wishing there was something he could say or do about any of this. But he knew there wasn’t. Then he saw all the missing calls and texts he’d received while he was under Bryce’s control. He really had Will worried. And Hazel. Then Nico realized he should probably text Hazel to let her know that he was safe.

Nico:  _ sorry to text you when it’s so late (early?) there, but i just wanted to let you know i’m safe. we can talk tomorrow _

Not even a minute passed, when he got an incoming FaceTime call from her. Nico answered. Hazel was in bed with her bedside lamp on. Her gold eyes were narrowed with confusion, and she was rocking some major bedhead. But she still managed to look beautiful nonetheless, and Nico was just happy to see her.

“Nico, what  _ happened _ ?” she started.

And Nico inhaled a deep breath before relaying the details to her. He told her all about the reporter, the bounty hunters, the police at his apartment and Bryce. He explained to her what Bryce had done to him, what he’d done to the reporter, and about Will. How Will had come to  _ save _ him, and he’d nearly killed Will in return. How Will  _ could _ be dead right now, and there was no way of knowing.

“Where are you now?” Hazel asked.

“A motel,” Nico said. “I think… I think I need to leave.”

She looked at him with all of the regretful understanding in the world.

“I think I’m going to come to Greece. There’s nothing left for me here, and I need time and space to clear my head and work on my control again.”

“I think that’s for the best, too, Neeks. You can stay with Frank and me for a while. Frank is out of town right now, but we have a guest room.”

Hazel explained to him that he should book a flight tomorrow, and to let her know of the details so that she could pick him up at the airport. Nico nodded, they wished each other a good night, and the call ended shortly after that. With nothing else he could do, he curled up under the covers and slept until the following day.

The next day, Nico dared to send Will a text. He was overcome with guilt and sorrow, and as selfish as he felt sending it, he needed to hear from Will. He needed to know he was still alive. It wasn’t until he got a text back from Will that said “ _ leave me alone or i’ll block you _ ” that he was able to relax some. It didn’t matter if Will didn’t want to hear from him. Will was  _ alive _ , and that’s all Nico needed. He’d sent another follow up text, apologizing, because he really didn’t know what else to do. He thought to explain everything, but he feared if he started blowing up Will’s phone, then Will really would block him, so he decided to wait.

But time passed, and Nico never heard from Will. And despite the thought that maybe Will needed more time, he felt in his heart that it was over. That, and Nico knew he really couldn’t stay here any longer. He needed to go to Greece. So, the first thing he did after that was go to the store and buy Will a bouquet of roses and write him a letter. He said his goodbyes in a few short sentences, sealed the envelope shut, and went to Will’s apartment where one of his neighbors let him into the building, and he left the roses and the letter outside of his apartment door.

No sooner was he back outside than he looked up flights to Greece. As much as he didn’t want to leave, it wasn’t safe here for him anymore. And it wasn’t safe for Will. He was nothing but a danger to Will. There was a flight leaving in a few hours, so Nico took a cab back to the motel, checked out, quickly went to a corner store, and took another cab to the airport where he bought a plane ticket.

Now Nico was at the airport, and he heard over the speakers that his flight was starting to board. He had a small carry-on of toiletries he’d picked up at the store earlier today, but nothing else. Nico stood up and boarded his flight.

-Will-

It was two days later before Will’s father discharged him from the hospital, and Will had never been so eager to get out of there in his life. He hated being a patient, with everyone fussing over him and taking his vitals, and his father asking him a dozen questions over and over again. Okay, so maybe he  _ did  _ understand their concern. He’d shown up to the hospital near dead in an ambulance after all. And from what he understood, it took a  _ lot _ of blood in the transfusion to keep him alive.

He was just lucky he did live. While he spent the days in his hospital bed which included New Years, to his disappointment, he mostly watched the news. Which, he ended up regretting, because he learned that the reporter who’d gone missing nearly a week ago turned up dead. Drained of blood. And Will knew he probably should’ve changed the channel, but he didn’t. And when he saw a professional picture of her on the screen, with her red curly hair and gray eyes and big smile, Will  _ knew _ she had to be the person he saw the vampire stuffing into the trunk of a car. He was lucky he didn’t end up like her.

Then there were three of the scientists. It wasn’t broadcasted on the news, but Will’s father had informed him that a handful of them turned up dead. By this point, Dr. Apollo was adamant that Will move back home for a while. And Will knew he probably should, but he also desperately wanted space. He didn’t want to see anyone or talk to anyone.

Will hadn’t even told Cecil or Lou Ellen what really happened. They both just assumed he was attacked by the second vampire, and Will just didn’t have it in him to tell them otherwise. The only person who was suspicious of the truth was his father, so the last thing Will wanted was to go to his house and endure the constant lectures and over-protection. He just wanted to be left alone. So, despite his father’s protests, he went back to his apartment.

When Will arrived back at his apartment, he was ready to crash. He walked up the stairs before noticing there was something outside of his door. He walked closer. There was a bouquet of red roses sitting there, already starting to wilt a little. Attached to them was an envelope that read “ _ Will Solace”  _ in messy handwriting. Will’s heart plummeted to his stomach. He knew exactly who they were from. He looked around to make sure he was alone. He was.

Will gathered up the bouquet and the envelope before heading inside and locking the door behind him. We wandered into the kitchen while staring at the envelope he held in his hand the entire time. He set the roses down on the table.  _ Will Solace.  _ He read his name over and over. He didn’t know if he wanted to open the envelope. He didn’t know if he wanted to read what was inside. But staring at the envelope just made him feel sick to his stomach. He sat down at the kitchen table, inhaled, and turned it over to open it.

There was only one sheet of paper inside, and there was a message written in pen. It was short. Will shifted his focus to the beginning and started reading:

_ Will, I hope your recovery went smooth and quickly. Words cannot express how truly sorry I am for everything. By the time you read this, I’ll have moved to Greece, so you’ll never have to see me again. I hope that you are able to build yourself a happy life being a doctor. I hope that you find a safe and deep love with someone who makes you happy, and that everything that I’ve done to hurt you becomes nothing more than a distant memory. Take care. _

Will read it over. And then again. And again and again until he felt sicker than he did not knowing what was inside the envelope to begin with.  _ Greece?  _ So that was that? Nico left and was gone and Will would never see him again? He never even explained what had happened. He just did what he did and sent him flowers and disappeared? Will started to panic. He didn’t know why. He didn’t know why he hurt or why he cared or why he couldn’t just crumble Nico’s letter into a ball and throw it away and be done with it.

Will whipped out his phone and dialed Nico’s number. It rang and rang until it went to voicemail.  _ Shit _ . Will hung up. Now he was really panicking. He called again. Voicemail. It wasn’t supposed to end like this. Even after everything that had happened, things weren’t just supposed to come to a grinding halt like this. And then anger swept over Will. He called again. This time, the ringing stopped after two rings.

“Will?” Nico’s voice came through on the other line.

“Nico, what do you think you’re doing?  _ Greece _ ?” Will shouted into the phone.

There was a pause of silence. “Yes.”

“You just picked up and left and never even explained anything to me.”

“I didn’t think you wanted to hear from me again,” Nico admitted.

“That’s for  _ me _ to decide. Not you. Shit, Nico. I needed a few days to clear my head. Then you—what—got on a plane and disappeared with no warning?”

“I’m sorry, Will. It’s better for me here. Better for us both.”

“And you just made that decision all by yourself without stopping to consider how I felt about it?” Will couldn’t hide the anger in his voice. The hurt.

“Fuck,” Nico cursed at himself. “Will. I don’t know. I didn’t know what else to do.”

Will clenched his phone. “I swear, Nico, you have two minutes to explain to me what happened. Two minutes. That’s all I’m giving you.”

“Okay. Okay,” Nico said, gathering his thoughts. “Give me a second to think of where to start.”

Will didn’t say anything. His heart was beating wildly in his chest. He didn’t know what he was saying or what he was doing. But he knew he needed answers. He’d never get any sort of closure if Nico didn’t explain himself, and he didn’t want to live the rest of his life in fear.

“After I got your phone call about the bounty hunters turning up dead, I rushed home, and I saw cop cars surrounding my building. In my window I could see the lights were on and people moving around. It must’ve been Jason who called. I don’t know how else they would’ve found me, but they found me. And I was about to take off when I was stopped by Bryce... He’s the other vampire. Hades sent him. He’s the one who killed the bounty hunters.”

“Who’s Hades?” Will interrupted.

“He’s the father of all vampires. The original,” Nico explained. “Let me backtrack for a second. After you helped me escape from those scientists, I wrote a letter to Hades explaining what happened. Because he’s… in charge of all this vampire stuff? He needed to know. Out of courtesy, I suppose. And then, I didn’t know this at the time, but apparently Hades had sent Bryce here to clean everything up.

“And Bryce decided two kill those two bounty hunters to send a message. He was framing me, but he didn’t care. That’s what he wanted. And I fought him on it, and he told me he needed to teach me how to be a real vampire. I tried to outrun him, but he’s older and stronger, and he took me. He took me to that basement and chained me up and forced me to drink from that reporter.

“I tried to resist, but he’d force my teeth into her necks until I started drinking. And he did that every day, so many times. And any amount of control that I’d been building back up came crumbling down around me. It was like I had a taste for blood and couldn’t take it anymore.”

Nico paused. And his voice started to break. “And then you showed up, and all I could think was that I was saved. That you’d saved me again, and everything would be okay. And then it wasn’t. And I hurt you. I couldn’t stop myself, and I couldn’t think. It was like my vampire instincts took over, and the rest of me was completely shut out… Will, I never meant to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you. And I know I’ve said it a hundred times, but I’m  _ so _ sorry. So, so sorry. I don’t know how else to explain it.”

Will was shaking. He didn’t know what to make of anything Nico said. He’d known it was the other vampire who’d taken Nico. But he didn’t know that the other vampire, Bryce, was forcing him to drink straight from humans. But still… Nico had attacked him. And whatever he said to explain why didn’t change the fact that he  _ did _ .

So why? Why was there a part of Will that was breaking? Why was there a part of him that wanted to understand? To forgive Nico? He shouldn’t have called. He should have just left things the way they were and moved on from this.

“Nico,” Will said finally. “I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to  _ do _ .”

“You don’t need to say or do anything,” Nico said. And Will could tell he was doing his best not to cry.

“I don’t want to spend the rest of my life hating you.”

“I don’t want that either.”

“But I also don’t know how I’m going to get past this.”

“I know.”

“So now what? What am I supposed to do?” Will asked, a slight plea in his voice.

“I can’t make that decision for you, Will.”

“But you already  _ have _ . You  _ left _ .”

Nico huffed, resigned. “What do you want from me, Will? What do you want me to do? Tell me, and I’ll do it.”

“I don’t know.”

A pause.

“I have a lot to think about,” Will said, finally.

“I know.”

Will was about to say goodbye when another thought crossed his mind. “And what about Bryce? Is he with you?”

“No. I don’t know where he is. I haven’t seen or heard from him since you helped me escape.”

“So he could still be here?”

A pause. “Yeah.”

_ Shit _ . If Bryce was still around, things still weren’t safe. “Nico, you need to tell Hades to tell Bryce to leave.”

“I will.”

“Okay,” Will sighed. “I’ll talk to you later then?”

“Okay, we’ll talk later,” Nico agreed. “Goodnight, Will.”

“Goodnight.”

Will hung up with a groan. He was frustrated over what happened. Nico explaining everything that happened still didn’t change the fact that he’d nearly killed him. Will figured he should’ve screamed at him, so why didn’t he? Why did his heart hurt and his head ache? Nico was gone, Bryce was potentially still around. This was all too much to think about. And Will didn’t want to think. He wanted to sleep.

So he went to his room, closed the door, and changed into a pair of sweats before crashing down on his bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 Okay guys, they're talking again... well, sorta. But better than nothing, right? I don't know - sorry this chapter is kinda on the shorter side, but I'll post two more today to make up for it, they're both longer. Kudos and comments are always appreciated :)


	28. Restless

-Nico-

Nico laid on the couch of Hazel and Frank’s apartment with his head in Hazel’s lap. He was sweating, his eyes burned, and his mouth felt dry. On top of all of that, he was  _ starving _ . He was going through blood withdrawal, and it was the worst it ever had been. Hazel ran her fingers through his hair, trying to soothe him. There wasn’t much else she could do.

“This is the worst I’ve ever felt in my life,” Nico mumbled.

“Neeks…” she pouted. “Are you sure you don’t want to feed?”

“No.” Nico rolled onto his back to look up at her. “I need to detox.”

“You’re torturing yourself.”

Nico huffed something of a chuckle. “It kind of seems like a recurring theme with me, doesn’t it?”

“A bit.” She offered a sympathetic smile. “Have you heard from Will at all?”

Nico sighed. “I talked to him a little bit last night. I told him what happened.”

“And?”

“ _ And _ , I don’t know. He probably hates me. I would, too. He almost died because of me.”

“You weren’t yourself. What Bryce did to you…”

Nico groaned. “I need to tell Hades to have Bryce come back.”

“Ah, actually, speaking of which,” Hazel started. “You received a letter from Hades this morning. I meant to give it to you earlier, but you were knocked out pretty hard.”

Nico sat up, and the world felt dizzy.

“Can you go get me the letter?” he asked.

“Of course,” she said, standing up.

Nico adjusted himself so he was sitting on the couch normally. He waited for Hazel to return with a letter addressed to him. It made him pretty nervous to know that he had a letter from Hades. It was odd enough when he’d received the first one, and now he was getting a second? He needed to speak with Hades anyway, which was good, but he also did not like being on the radar of the father of all vampires. He opened the letter.

_ Dearest Nico di Angelo, _

_ I am enthused to hear that you are safe and have returned home. I hope that the aid I sent was sufficient. I would like to invite you to join me for dinner tonight at 6PM and will send a chauffeur to retrieve you accordingly. I have a proposition I would like to present to you. I look forward to your company this evening. _

_ Much Obliged, _

_ Hades _

“Oh no,” Nico drawled. “I’ve been  _ summoned _ .”

“What?!” Hazel exclaimed, ripping the letter from his hands to read it herself. Her eyes skimmed over the paragraph frantically before she looked up at him with a face full of confusion. “What proposition is he talking about?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” he shrugged. He ran a hand through his hair. “Fuck. I’m really in no condition to be seeing him tonight.”

“Yeah, you kinda look like shit, Neeks.” She frowned. “You probably need to drink something before you go.”

Nico groaned. He really wanted to get through this withdrawal sooner than later. Drinking blood now would only push off the inevitable into the short future.

“I’m just going to wait it out for a few hours to see how I feel,” he determined. “Plus, if I’m having ‘dinner’ there, I’m sure Hades is going to expect me to drink… This is the  _ worst. _ ”

Hazel sat down beside him. “But you needed to talk to him about Bryce anyway, right? Maybe it’s a good thing to get this over with.”

Nico shrugged. “I guess.”

Nico then pulled out his phone to text Will. He didn’t have much to say, but any excuse to talk to Will was an excuse he would take.

  
  


Nico:  _ i’m going to meet with hades tonight _

Will:  _ you’re going to tell him to make bryce leave, right? _

Nico:  _ of course. i can’t make any promises though. you don’t exactly tell hades what to do _

Will:  _ insist on it _

Nico:  _ i will. he says he has a “proposition” for me, maybe i’ll try and use that as a bargaining chip _

Will:  _ what sort of proposition? _

Nico:  _ no idea _

Will: okay,  _ let me know how it goes _

Nico:  _ i’ll call you later, as soon as i find out about bryce _

Will:  _ okay _

Even after hours passed, Nico couldn’t shake the nervousness. Hazel must’ve gotten sick of seeing him like this because she eventually left the apartment and said she was going to get him a blood bag, whether he liked it or not. Nico waited, not exactly thrilled with the idea, but understanding he probably needed to be in somewhat of a decent condition if he were going to be meeting with Hades tonight. But he still couldn’t get over the one detail of Hades’ letter. Hades had a proposition for him.

What did that even  _ mean _ ? And not knowing scared the ever-loving fuck out of Nico. Because at the end of the day, it didn’t exactly matter that Hades worded it as a proposition. If Hades wanted something, it got done. So Nico felt like he was getting dragged into something whether he liked it or not. He just hoped it wasn’t anything awful.

It didn’t take Hazel very long to return. She headed into the kitchen and unloaded two blood bags from her rather large purse. Nico walked over to her.

“I’m only having one,” he commented.

“Okay, tough guy.” She rolled her eyes. “Then we’ll save the other one for a later time.”

Nico grinned. He picked up one of the blood bags and ripped it open with his fangs, which were already out and ready. As per usual when he was desperate, he didn’t bother with heating it up. There was a time and place for such luxury, and being on the brink of absolute starvation was not one of them.

He started drinking the blood rather furiously, and relished in the feeling as it filled his mouth and slipped down his throat. He didn’t care that it sort of tasted awful. It seemed to satisfy his hunger nonetheless. Nico was about halfway through in a matter of seconds when Hazel interrupted him with a question.

“Can I try a sip?” Hazel asked.

Nico tried to suppress his instincts that were  _ very much _ unwilling to share any of the blood. But he forced himself to remove his lips from the bag and handed it over to her. He watched as Hazel took a sip, and her face contorted in absolute abhorrence. She shoved the bag bag into his hands.

“Sort of disgusting,” she commented.

Nico laughed. “You’re telling me.”

“By the way you were drinking it, you totally had me fooled. I thought it actually might be decent.”

He lifted the blood bag back up to his lips and continued to drink it until there was nothing left. Once he was finished, he did feel a little better, but he couldn’t help but let his eyes shift to the second one.  _ Maybe one more won’t hurt…? _

“No!” Hazel shouted, snatching the second blood bag off the table.

“Rational Nico said ‘no,’ and I’m not letting blood-crazed Nico change his mind.”

Nico really, truly considered tackling her for it. But then he realized she was probably right, and he was in a bit of a frenzy. He’d kick himself later if he drank it. He was trying to practice more control, afterall. That, and he’d likely be having something to drink when he saw Hades later.

“Okay, Neeks,” Hazel started as she put the other blood bag in her refrigerator. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you kind of smell like week-old roadkill, so you should probably take a shower.”

“Oh, Hazel, always so gentle with my feelings,” he teased. “But thanks. I’m on it.”

Nico started toward her bathroom.

“I only say the things I say because I love you!” she called after him.

Nico just laughed and flipped her off, not bothering to turn around.

  
  
  
  


-Will-

Nightmares plagued Will’s head throughout the night, and by the time he woke up, his whole body was sweating. He’d dreamt of Bryce. Of the way he tossed the reporter’s body in the trunk of a car. Of the two dead men he’d seen in the mortuary at the hospital. Of the scientists whose deaths were swept under the rug. He rubbed his temples and checked his phone to see that he had a text from Nico.

Nico:  _ i’m going to meet with hades tonight _

Will reminded him about the issue with Bryce, which Nico said he’d try to take care of, but it didn’t really make Will feel any better. There were too many dead already, and there could be a whole lot more. There was his father. Him. And although he’d never done anything to hurt Nico, after what Bryce did to Nico, Will really couldn’t be sure of his motives anymore. Anyone who even crossed paths with Nico at this point could potentially be at risk.

_ Shit _ . “Jason.”

The thought hadn’t occurred to him before, but the more he  _ did  _ think about it, the more he realized that Jason was very much a potential target. Bryce had gone after the first two bounty hunters who turned Nico in afterall. What made Jason any different?

It didn’t take Will any longer after that to realize he needed to do something. He needed to warn Jason. He needed to get him somewhere safe. Will quickly got dressed, threw on his jacket and boots, and ran down the stairs of his apartment. Once he was outside, he hopped in a cab and took it over to Nico’s old apartment complex where he knew Jason lived. No sooner was he inside than he began pounding at the door. It didn’t take much longer after that for Jason to answer. He opened the door.

“You’re Will, right?” Jason asked, confused.

“Yes,” Will said. “And I know how weird it is that I’m showing up at your apartment right now, but I think you might be in danger.”

“What are you talking about? Did Nico do something?”

“Just, can you pack a bag and come with me?”

“I’m not just gonna pick up and move because some stranger showed up at my door saying I’m in danger.”

Will fought the urge to rub his temples. “Okay, that’s fair. Can we talk inside, though? I need to explain everything to you.”

“Fine,” Jason relented, begrudgingly.

Jason stepped aside, allowing Will to enter. He closed the door behind them and waited to Will to start talking.

“Okay,” Will started. “There is another vampire in the city named Bryce, and I’m afraid he’s going to try to kill you.”

Will didn’t bother sugarcoating it. He needed to get Jason out of here. And quickly.

“What?” Jason asked.

Will racked his brain for how to better explain. “You called the authorities on Nico, told them where he lived, right?”

Jason shifted his weight from one side to the next, looking uncomfortable. “He killed, like, three people. What else was I supposed to do?”

“That wasn’t Nico. That was the other vampire. And he’s killed six. Three deaths weren’t publicized.”

And slowly, a look of realization started to cross Jason’s face. He looked nervous.  _ That’s good _ , Will thought.  _ That’s a start.  _ The sooner he could convince Jason he wasn’t safe, the sooner they could leave. But Will also realized that in his frantic state, he also wasn’t doing a spectacular job at explaining. So, he inhaled, forced himself to calm down, and tried to start from the beginning.

“Bryce came here to get revenge on what happened to Nico. He’s the one who killed everyone. Nico had nothing to do with it. And now Nico’s  _ gone _ . He left. But Bryce is still here, and I get the feeling he’s not done yet. If he finds out that  _ you _ were the one to turn Nico in, he’s going to come after you. You’re not safe, and we need to  _ leave _ .”

Jason paused for a moment. “Are you sure it’s another vampire? That Nico didn’t just lie to you like he did to me?”

“Nico was with me when the other two were killed.”

Now Jason looked convinced. Scared. His face paled and his blue eyes widened. Will had no reason to lie to him. And to fabricate such a story would be too extreme.

“Shit,” Jason cursed. “Fuck!”

“Just pack a bag, Jason. You need to get out of here.”

“Where am I supposed to go?!” Jason was full-blown panicking. “I don’t have any family here. Piper and I broke up. I can’t just call the police and tell them what you’re telling me without implicating  _ you _ .”

Will didn’t hesitate before he said, “You can come stay with me at my place for a few days. Nico is going to try to convince some other higher-up vampire to make Bryce leave. He should be gone soon, I just don’t know when.”

“Oh gods,” Jason groaned. “I totally fucked up.”

“It’s  _ fine _ , Jason. Just get your things. We can worry about everything else later.”

Jason didn’t need any convincing after that. He raced into his room, and Will could hear him bustling about, throwing things together. Will waited by the door, his heart racing. He really didn’t want to be here. Neither of them knew if or when Bryce would show, and Will definitely didn’t want to be here when he did. But thankfully, it didn’t take Jason much longer than that to get his stuff together. He came out of his room with a large backpack, went to the bathroom to pack away more things, and then joined Will by the front door.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Jason said.

And so they did. They took Jason’s car back to Will’s apartment, not speaking a word to each other the entire drive. They didn’t really even  _ know _ each other, so they didn’t have anything else they could talk about if they wanted to. Not that they would. It wasn’t exactly the casual get-to-know-you mood, after all.

Once they arrived at Will’s apartment, they both began to relax some. Jason had no trouble making himself comfortable, plopping down on Will’s couch and burying his face in his hands. It took him a few minutes to process what was going on and gather his thoughts, but eventually he looked up and over to Will.

“Can you tell me about Nico?” he asked.

Will joined him in the living room. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything, I guess? I mean, I was friends with the dude for  _ two years _ , and he never once told me, like, the most important detail about himself. And then he’s known you for, what, a few weeks? And you seem to know everything.”

Will understood. As angry as he’d been when he first crossed paths with Jason for being so snappish at Nico, it seemed now he could begin to wrap his head around it. Jason felt lied to. He felt scared. His whole world was turned upside down, and he’d been dragged into the middle of something he wanted no part of. So, Will tried his best to explain.

“Nico never really told me he was a vampire. It was something I knew about him before I even knew him. And I’m sure if it was the other way around, if we’d just been friends first, he probably wouldn’t have told me either,” Will said. “But I was there. My dad sort of runs the hospital, and when Nico was captured, they contacted him to… witness things firsthand, I guess? They were doing experiments on Nico because whatever healing powers he has, they wanted to see if they could use it for human medicine.”

“Wait,” Jason cut him off. “You’re telling me Nico has healing powers? Like some gods-damned superhero?”

Will snorted a laugh. “I guess so. His body self-heals any injury, so he’s sort of… immortal. And his saliva… it can heal wounds on people. I don’t really know the science behind it.”

Jason looked completely baffled.

“So, anyway,” Will continued with his story, “my dad dragged me right along with him to see the vampire because he thought it might be an important moment in the history of medicine.  _ That’s _ when I first saw Nico. And that’s when I saw what they were  _ doing _ to him… It was… it was torture, Jason. I don’t really know how to describe it other than that. And maybe I was being stupid and impulsive, but the next time I went, I helped him escape. I thought I’d never see him after that, but then he showed up at my work and—”

“The diner, right?” Jason asked.

Will looked at him, confused. Then Jason looked embarrassed.

“Okay, sooo,” Jason started, “I may or may not have definitely played a hand in stalking you.”

Will just laughed at that. “Well, that makes sense, considering Nico doesn’t have any social media.”

“Oops?”

“I don’t care,” Will reassures him before continuing.!“But then I got to  _ know _ Nico. And we talked a lot. At first, he really didn’t want to talk about anything vampire-related, but after a while, he ended up trusting me. He only drinks from blood bags. He’s never turned or killed anyone. He’s really doing the best he can.”

Will’s thoughts turned to Nico’s attack of him. And as Will was explaining all of this to Jason, he realized Nico wasn’t in his right mind. Nico never hurt anyone. He never drank blood from humans. It just wasn’t who he was. Will felt guilty, beginning to blame himself for holding a grudge against Nico. It was one slip up. One mistake. And after everything that Bryce had done to Nico, was it really fair for him to blame Nico entirely?  _ But he did almost kill me _ , a voice reminded him. And that would never change. Nico, whether he wanted to be or not, would always be a danger.

Will decided not to tell any of this to Jason. He didn’t know why. But it felt personal. It was his own issue that he needed to work through by himself. Maybe it wasn’t fair of Will not to give Jason the fullest picture he could, but he also didn’t want Jason to hate Nico anymore. And he didn’t understand why he wanted that either. He didn’t understand why he was always coming to Nico’s defense.

“I think I really fucked up, dude,” Jason said, breaking Will’s train of thought. “I just assumed Nico was a killer. I didn’t even think that there might be another vampire. I mean, like I said, I knew Nico for  _ two years _ , and I didn’t even stop to fucking think of what type of person—or, uh, well, vampire?—he is. I let this whole idea of him being a vampire go right to my head, and I went and turned him in. I could’ve gotten  _ him _ killed.”

“Well,” Will paused, thinking of what to say. Jason wasn’t exactly wrong, but Will also didn’t want to add salt to the wound. “Nico is really forgiving. When we talked about you, he seemed more hurt than pissed. I think he understands where you’re coming from.”

“I’m the worst friend ever,” Jason groaned.

“Well, I might be the worst boyfriend ever,” Will said. “He left the country because of me.”

“Wait, what?!” Jason snapped his attention to Will. “You’re dating?!”

Will turned red. “Well, we were? Not anymore, I don’t think.”

“Why not?”

“Mostly because of what’s going on with Bryce,” Will said.

“I don’t see what that has to do with you.”

“It’s kind of… personal?” Will offered.

“Fair enough.” Jason shrugged. “But back to me now. What am  _ I  _ supposed to do?”

“You could try talking to him, for starters.”

Jason hummed. “I have another question.”

“What’s that?”

“You’re sure this Bryce guy doesn’t know where you live?”

“No idea,” Will confessed. “But I’m less of a target than you are.”

“For some reason, I do not find that to be reassuring in the slightest.”

“Do you have any other ideas?”

“Nope.” Jason said.

“Okay,” Will said. “I’m going to call Nico now and let him know what’s going on.”

“Sounds good.”

Will took his phone out and checked the time. It should only be mid-afternoon in Greece by now, so Nico should be up. He didn’t know what time Nico was going to meet with Hades, so he hoped he wasn’t disrupting their conversation. He dialed Nico’s number, and it rang a few times before answering.

“Hello? Will?” Nico asked. “Why are you calling? Is everything okay?

“Hey, Nico,” Will said. “Everything’s okay. So far. I just wanted to tell you what’s going on.”

“Okay.”

Will inhaled and thought about how to best explain this. “I was thinking this morning all about Bryce and his targets. Then I realized that Jason could be in danger. He was the one who turned you in the second time after all, and if Bryce had no problem tracking down and killing those bounty hunters, I was afraid he might do the same to Jason.”

“Where is he? Is he okay?” Nico panicked.

“Yeah, he’s fine. He’s going to be staying with me for a couple of days.”

“Why didn’t you call the police? Get him protection that way? I don’t want you to put yourself at risk, too.”

“It’s fine. We’re going to be fine this way.”

Then Jason walked over to Will.

“Can you put him on speaker?” Jason asked. “I want to talk to him.”

“Sure,” Will answered.

“Hey, Nico. I’m putting you on speaker. Jason wants to talk to you.”

A pause. Then Nico said, “Okay.”

Will clicked on the speaker phone and held it out between him and Jason so that they could both talk to him.

“Hey Nico,” Jason said, somewhat awkwardly. “Will explained everything to me.” He sighed, “I’m sorry about… about turning you in.”

“I understand, Jason,” Nico said. “You thought it was me.”

“I did, but it wasn’t. And you could’ve… you could’ve ended up right back where you were because of me.”

“It’s okay. I’m not mad at you.”

“Well, you should be.”

Nico sighed. “You were just doing what you thought was best.”

“Stop being so forgiving!” Jason scolded, but there was humor in his voice. “It’s making me feel even more guilty.”

“Okay, then fuck you, Jason. You’re a piece of shit,” Nico paused. “Better?”

Jason laughed. “Loads. Damn, I’ve missed you, dude.”

“Me too.”

Jason looked up to Will and grinned before turning his attention back to the phone. “Anyways, Will told me you’re going to be meeting up with some head-honcho vampire guy?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Well tell him to get Bryce the fuck out of here.”

Nico chuckled. “I will.”

“Good.”

A pause.

“Nico?” Will spoke.

“Yeah?”

“Be safe.”

“You, too. Call me if anything else happens.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

No sooner had Will hung up, than Jason looked around. “Do you have any videogames? Maybe some beer? I could sure as fuck use a distraction right about now.”

_ Amazing _ , Will thought to himself. So  _ this  _ is Jason. Nico’s best friend. An absolute whirlwind of a person. They seem to be polar opposites, but maybe that’s why they were so close.

“I’ve got a few games. By the TV.” Will pointed before standing up. “You can set it up. I’ll grab the beers.”

“Perfecto.”

Will laughed to himself as he walked into the kitchen. He could sure use a distraction from this vampire mess, too. He’d hear from Nico about his conversation with Hades soon enough, and for now, there wasn’t really much else he could do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 Nico has been SUMMONED. And Jason is BACK. I'm happy that Jason and Will have each other to talk to about all of this because they've both been quite alone in their vampire-dealings. Anyways, kudos and comments are always appreciated :)


	29. Proposition

-Nico-

Hades residence was nothing short of a damn castle. It was a stone-cute building of towering walls, broken up by long stained glass windows. An iron gate surrounded the estate with two vampire guards posted in front of it. The landscape was grand, though dead in the winter, with the branches of small trees and shrubbery twisting upward toward the sky. Nico couldn’t help but swallow a gulp as he approached. He’d only been here, once before, when he’d first turned, but that didn’t make it any less intimidating.

Nico followed the vampire chauffeur who had picked him up, Jules-Ablbert, as Nico had learned his name was, toward Hades’ residence. As he approached, Nico worried about his appearance. He hadn’t seen Hades in decades, and he hoped he looked presentable. He was dressed in a slim thigh-length black coat. Italian-style. Beneath that, he wore a black button-up, black pants, and black shoes, all courtesy of Hazel. She styled his hair neatly back for him, too. And he was grateful that she ultimately insisted on the blood bag earlier. He didn’t look like complete death, he hoped. But he couldn’t help but feel underprepared for what he was about to walk into.

The vampire guards let them in and wished them a pleasant evening. It was one less thing he needed to worry about. Jules-Abert escorted him onto the premises while the others stood watch. Nico followed the older vampire into Hades’ residence.

It was just as grand and as fearful as he remembered. Almost as if he was walking into a nineteenth century Stoker novel. The inside was made up of intricate, dark woodwork with high arched ceilings and stone floors. The walls were decorated with portrait paintings of people—or vampires—that Nico didn’t recognize. The lights on the walls offered a yellow, haunting glow in the otherwise dark front hall.

_ What in the world have I gotten myself into?  _ Jules-Albert led Nico down a long, narrow hallway, which opened up into a dining room. There was a long table, which looked as though it could seat twenty, carved from blackwood. Hades sat at the head of the table with a half-filled wine glass in front of him. The liquid inside was dark red. Whether it be blood or wine, Nico didn’t know.

“Kaló apógevma,” Hades greeted him, standing up.  _ Good evening. _

“Sas efcharistó pou me échete,” Nico said, thanking him for his invitation.

He gave a slight bow of the head. He wasn’t sure if it was necessary, but he’d rather be seen a fool than disrespectful. It must’ve been the right thing to do, because Hades didn’t comment otherwise.

“You have been living in the United States for quite some time now,” Hades noted. “Would you prefer we speak in English?”

Nico nodded. “If it pleases you.”

“It does!” Hades grinned. “I do like to practice my English now and again. It was enjoyable to write you letters in it, subject matter aside.”

Hades then gestured to a chair beside him. “Come. Sit.”

Nico obeyed. He crossed the dining room over to where Hades had instructed him to sit. Hades was at the head of the table, so he would be in the next seat to his left. He removed his coat and was about to hang it over the chair when Jules-Albert gracefully took it, folding it over his arm and leaving the room. Nico sat down. He felt uncomfortable being this close to the father of all vampires, but he knew he didn’t have much of a choice.

His thoughts started racing over what to say and what to do, but Jules-Albert quickly returned to the dining room, saving him from the situation. He carried a silver platter with two wine bottles and a wine glass.

“What will you be having?” Hades asked. “Blood or wine?”

“Wine would be great,” Nico answered before adding, “please.”

Hades looked at him with an unreadable expression. Nico couldn’t tell if he pissed off the father of all vampires with his selection or if he was entirely unphased. Hades lifted his glass to his lips and took a small but slow slip. Nico pulled his attention to Jules-Albert, who set down the wine glass and began to pour. He then set both bottles down on the table, centered between Hades and Nico. Once he was finished, he turned to Hades and asked if he could be of any more service. When Hades declined, Jules-Albert gave a slight bow and exited the room.

Now Nico was left alone with Hades. His heart hammered against his chest. He wondered if Hades noticed because the other offered him a smile.

“Please do relax, Mr. di Angelo,” he said. “I invited you here to express my gratitude not to frighten you.”

“I’m sorry. I mean no disrespect. It’s been… a while, since I’ve been around such… grandiose,” Nico struggled to get the words out. He felt like an idiot. He wanted to scream.

“I sense no disrespect from you,” Hades assured him. “It is to my understanding that you have been suffering greatly as of late. I recognize this may be unfamiliar to you.”

Nico didn’t know how to respond to that, so instead he took a sip of his wine to fill the silence. Hades followed suit, taking a sip from his own glass, and Nico was now close enough to smell it. It was blood. His teeth ached in yearning, but he managed, somehow, to keep his fangs from coming out. Likely fear. He didn’t want to show Hades that he lacked any control whatsoever.

“Do tell me more of your experience in the United States,” Hades said. “It had been years since I last had the opportunity to visit myself.”

So Nico did. He felt awkward at first, realizing he didn’t actually have much of a life there himself. It was always more about survival than living for him. But he told Hades of the different cities he’d traveled to, the landmarks, the history, the customs. And eventually he felt more comfortable. Hades seemed to be intrigued by all of this more so than what Nico did on a day-to-day basis. Nico supposed he was a vampire of culture.

Hades related the places that Nico had been to countries that he himself had spent time in. He talked about cultural impact and history and colonization. Language and art and touched on war. The whole conversation made Nico’s head spin as he wondered just how old Hades really was, or if he simply just  _ knew _ everything.

They seemed to talk for about an hour or so about the similarities and the differences in their worlds and experiences, and by the end of the conversation, Nico was feeling admittedly more at ease. They’d finished their bottles, respectfully, and Nico was hoping that maybe this was the end of their two-person dinner party and that he could go home, when Jules-Albert returned with two more.

Hades asked again if Nico preferred blood or wine. Nico opted for the wine once more. And this time, he knew the expression on Hades face was one of curiosity… perhaps even disappointment? And Nico wondered if he’d made the wrong choice. But it was too late for him to change his mind. It would seem uncalled for and strange, so he kept his mouth closed.

Once Jules-Albert was gone, Hades was the first to speak.

“I regret to bring up such a foul subject, but it is important that we review what happened to you regarding your imprisonment,” he frowned. “There are details from your letter I would like to discuss further.”

Nico swallowed. “What would you like to know?”

“Do you have any insight into what they were seeking?” he asked.

“Not entirely,” Nico answered, relieved Hades wasn’t asking about the specifics of what they had done to him. He really didn’t want to have to relive that. “Based on what they did to me, I only guess that they were trying to see if there was a limit to my… immortality—to my healing.”

Hades hummed. “Did they discover anything that you yourself did not know?”

“No.”

“You also wrote to me that you didn’t speak a word to them. Is that correct?”

“It is.”

“Then I am safe in assuming they know nothing about you or any other vampire for that matter?”

Nico was about to tell him that was correct when he remembered another detail. They had been to his apartment. There was nothing there that could identify who he was or where he was from, as he never saved any letters or took any photographs. He didn’t keep souvenirs or memorabilia of any sorts either. He should be safe.

“Yes,” Nico answered.

“I can’t help but notice your hesitation. Is something amiss?”

“No. They were able to find my apartment, but there was nothing there that would identify me or any other vampire.”

“How did  _ that  _ happen?” Hades asked, his voice hinting at disapproval.

Nico thought to Jason. He really didn’t want to put Jason in harm’s way, even if his ex-friend had turned him in. Nico could feel himself getting nervous.

“I don’t know,” he answered.

To Nico’s fortune, Hades didn’t press the subject any further. Relieved, Nico took another sip of his wine.

“I trust Bryce will be able to take care of things,” Hades concluded. “He’s been of aid since he arrived, has he not?”

Nico didn’t know how to answer that. On one hand, he knew it was his opportunity to tell the truth. That Bryce had turned everything upside-down, that he made everything worse. He could tell Hades that Bryce needed to  _ leave _ before he hurt—or killed—anyone else. On the other hand, he risked disrespecting Hades or even going so far as to piss him off. And he  _ really _ didn’t want to do that.

“You seem hesitant to answer,” Hades noted. “Again.”

Nico cleared his throat. “I appreciate that you sent help—that you were looking out for me and all the other vampires to prevent any further risk.” Nico hesitated, racking his brain for how to propose this in the most polite manner possible. “And I think Bryce has done that. Perhaps it’s time he comes back here?”

Hades raised a brow. “I appreciate your words, but I sense that you were not satisfied regarding what was done.”

Nico said nothing.

“My duty is to protect each and every last vampire that I’m able to. When I learned what had happened to you, I was absolutely sickened,” Hades explained. “Bryce is doing what needs to be done in order to protect us and prevent such danger from occurring again.”

“I just feel like maybe he’s done enough for now. People are scared.”

“As they ought to be,” Hades answered coldly. “But I shall send for Bryce if you truly believe that his duty has been fulfilled.”

Nico felt relief hearing that. “I do.”

“Now with that matter discussed, your defense of humans leads me now to my proposition.”

Nico’s heart faltered. He’d completely forgotten that Hades had a proposition for him tonight. He’d been so worked up about seeing Hades, about doing and saying all of the right things, that it completely slipped his mind. But now, faced with the fact that Hades had something to offer him, he felt terrified.

Hades reached inside his suit coat pocket and withdrew a miniature vial which hung from a small chain loop. It almost looked like a necklace of sorts. Hades held it up.

“This vial contains my blood,” he said. “My blood turns any human into a vampire and any vampire into a human. You might consider it a cure, of sorts.”

Nico was pretty sure his heart stopped in his chest.  _ What? Did I hear that right? There’s a fucking CURE?  _ And for a moment he allowed himself to feel hope. Hope that he could become human. Hope that he could live a normal life. Hope that this meant he actually had a chance at being with Will. That they could grow old together. Nico reached out for the vial.

“I do have a condition, however,” Hades continued, before handing it over.

“What is it?”

Hades set the vial down on the table between them, and it took all of Nico’s willpower not to grab it. He’d do whatever it took to get that cure. He didn’t care what Hades’ condition was.

“The population of vampire’s has dwindled over the centuries. Because of this, I do not offer my blood to any vampire who seeks to be human. But you have shown me great loyalty in the face of your imprisonment, and I feel as though I owe you a favor in turn. I see that you are suffering, and it is to my understanding that you did not choose this life in the context it was given to you.”

Nico looked at him, confused.

“The vampire who turned you lied to you, did he not? He promised you an eternity together, and instead you arrived to me confused and alone.”

Nico didn’t know how Hades knew any of this. He’d never told anyone what happened to him. Except Will. But there was no way Hades and Will had a conversation. It didn’t make sense.

“The vampire who turned you did so so that he himself could take the cure,” Hades went on to explain. “That is my condition. In order to take the cure, you must turn a human into a vampire. I cannot afford any further decline in our population in fear that we might go extinct. And the human who turns must agree to turn willingly. I require loyalty. I hope you understand.”

And then all of the hope Nico had been holding onto shattered around him. He needed to turn a human into a vampire. But how could he do that? How could he subject another into the life of suffering that  _ he’d never  _ endured. Even if he managed to  _ find  _ a human who wanted to be a vampire, he knew he didn’t have it in his heart to turn them. He’d faced too much agony. Too much hunger. He lost his control, and he lost himself. The very essence of his being had been destroyed. He couldn’t bring that fate down upon another.

“I can’t—I can’t do that,” Nico answered. And he hated it. He  _ hated  _ his decision. But he knew it was the right thing to do. He couldn’t be selfish. Not about this.

But Hades didn’t seem to care. Instead, he slid the vial closer to Nico.

“Take it with you and consider such matters. This isn’t a proposition I make lightly.”

“I don’t understand,” Nico said. “Why?”

“As I explained, the condition of taking the cure is to give me another loyal vampire. When you yourself were turned, you did not turn because you wished to be a vampire, you turned because you were in love. Now, it seems you are in love with humanity once more. It never was about being a vampire, it was about being with those who hold your heart.”

“How do you know that?”

“It was evident in the condition you were in when you first arrived on my doorstep.” Hades paused to take a sip of blood from his glass. “I located the vampire who turned you to find him human once more. I questioned him, and he confessed he turned you without giving you an honest expectation of being a vampire. You were of the understanding that you would be with him, and yet, you were not. That is why I require consent. I do not have use for vampires who do not wish to be vampires.”

Nico slowly nodded in understanding. He’d never known the whole story before. He never knew why he’d woken up alone in the woods. Why he was a vampire and his boyfriend had vanished. Why his boyfriend had  _ thanked  _ him. He knew he’d been abandoned, but he never knew  _ why.  _ His boyfriend had used him. He’d used him so that he could take the cure.

Knowing this just solidified Nico’s resolution. No matter how badly, how desperately, he wanted the cure for himself, he would never turn someone. He wouldn’t use and ruin one life for his own personal gain.

Hades lifted the vial off the table and handed it over to Nico.

“Please take this with you,” he said. “Take time to consider my proposition. You may find you change your mind.”

There really wasn’t any saying no to Hades, so Nico held out his hand. Hades placed the vial in his palm, and Nico closed his fingers around it.

Hades then turned his attention toward the entrance of the dining hall and spoke a bit louder. “O k. di Angelo eínai étoimos na párei tin ádeia tou tóra”

Nico understood. It was time for him to leave now.

Jules-Albert returned quickly with Nico’s coat. Nico rose from his seat and slipped his arms into his coat before buttoning it up. He thanked Hades for the dinner and conversation before putting the vial into his coat pocket. He secured the pocket button. Just in case.

Jules-Albert led him from the room, and just as Nico was about to exit, Hades spoke up again. 

“Mr. di Angelo,” Hades addressed him, stopping him in his tracks. Nico turned around, and Hades continued. “I just warn you. If you drink my blood without giving me another vampire in turn, I will know, and I will kill you. Just as I did the vampire who turned you. I do not take being lied to lightly.

Nico’s eyes grew wide. The idea of lying to Hades never even crossed his mind.

“I understand,” Nico answered.

Hades smiled, sitting back in his seat. “I do wish you a pleasant night.”

Nico didn’t say anything more. He left the dining hall and followed Jules-Albert until they reached the front door. The older vampire opened the door for him, and they started out. Nico’s whole world felt like a nightmare as he walked down the path, out the iron gate. He said nothing as Jules-Albert drove him back to Hazel’s apartment. When they arrived, Jules-Albert wished him a good night, to which Nico nodded, thanked him, and climbed out of the car. 

Once Nico was back at Hazel’s, he looked around, but she was nowhere to be found.  _ She must be gone for the night _ , he thought. Nico went over to her living room and sat down on the couch. He stared at his phone a long time. Nico had promised a phone call to Will to tell him about his conversation with Hades regarding Bryce, but he wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone right now. It seemed like his whole world simultaneously changed and stayed the same. There was a cure. And he could never take it. Now, he was just filled with this horrible feeling of knowing that everything he ever could have possibly wanted existed but was completely unattainable. Nico turned the vial over and over. It felt almost cruel to know, to have it right there, literally, in his hand.

A part of him wondered if he should tell Will about it before deciding against it. He knew whether or not he told Will didn’t change the situation. He’d never be able to take the cure. There was no benefit to giving Will any false hope. He didn’t want Will to have the same sinking feeling that he did. It didn’t matter anyway. Nico finally unlocked his phone and dialed for Will.

  
  
  


-Will-

Will felt his phone buzz, and he pulled it out to see Nico’s name flashing across the screen. He answered immediately and walked into his bedroom before closing the door. He wanted to talk to Nico in private and didn’t need Jason hanging onto every word.

“How did things go?” Will asked.

He heard a long sigh from Nico on the other end, and his heart sank.

“Hades is going to tell Bryce to leave,” Nico said.

Will thought Nico’s tone of voice seemed off, so he asked, “Why don’t you sound happy about it?”

There was a long pause before Nico answered. “No reason.”

Will’s brows furrowed as he thought it over. “Does this have something to do with the proposition you were mentioned?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Nico…” Will ran his hand through his hair. “Talk to me.”

There was another long pause, and Will could tell Nico was thinking it over, deciding on whether or not to say anything. Was it that bad?

“Nico, you’ve got to tell me what’s going on,” Will insisted.

He could hear Nico give another exasperated sigh from the other end of the phone.

“There’s a cure…” Nico started, hesitation heavy in his voice.

Will nearly dropped his phone. Of all of the things Nico could have possibly said,  _ that _ was the last thing he expected to hear. A cure? That meant… Nico could be  _ human _ again? They could be together, actually be together. But something seemed wrong. Off.

“Why don’t you sound excited?” Will asked. “Do you not want that?”

“No, I do,” Nico explained. “It’s just… I can’t. Because the only way for me to become human again is to turn someone.”

A beat of silence.

“Oh,” Will said.

“And I can’t do that to someone, you know?” Nico continued. “I can’t ruin someone else’s life like that.”

Will felt his insides twist. He understood. Nico wasn’t selfish enough to turn someone else into a vampire just so he could be human. But knowing… knowing it was possible just made everything feel so much worse. He’d allowed himself to believe there  _ could _ be a human Nico, just for a sliver of a moment. But that’s all it took. That’s all it took for him to imagine a life together. And Will realized that despite everything that had happened between them, he still wanted Nico. He still wanted to be with him. 

“It’s okay, Nico,” Will said, finally. “We’ll figure something out.”

“But we  _ won’t _ , Will. This is it. This is all it’s ever going to be,” Nico’s voice broke.

“Nico, just come back.” And Will meant it. He wanted Nico to be back. He wanted to be with him now more than ever. He couldn’t just leave Nico alone. Not like this. “We’ll talk about it.”

“You want me to come back?” Nico asked.

Will inhaled. He didn’t know why, but that was exactly what he wanted. “I do.”

“Will… what I did to you…”

“I know, Nico.” Will sat down on his bed. He was hardly making any sense to himself either. “I just… I don’t really know what I’m thinking or saying or doing anymore. And I’m not saying I’m not scared, because I am, I’m scared of what you did to me and that you could do it again. But I also know you weren’t yourself. I’m scared of Bryce and what he’s done. But somehow, on top of all of that, I feel like I still need you here. Am I losing my mind?”

“You might be.” Nico huffed. “I thought you’d never want to see me again.”

“I thought so, too.”

“You know that even though there’s a cure, it doesn’t change anything. I’ll never be able to take it.”

“I know.”

“So it’s okay if I come back… as me?”

“Yes,” Will answered. “As you.”

More silence followed. Then eventually, Nico said, “I don’t even know if it’s possible. They raided my apartment. They know where I live.”

Will didn’t take a second to think before he answered. “Just stay with me. At least, for a little while.”

“Isn’t Jason there?” Nico asked.

“Yes, but, we’ll figure something out.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because it’s true. Just catch the next flight here. I’ll take a cab to pick you up at the airport.”

“Okay, Will.” Nico sighed. “I’ll let you know then.”

“Be safe, Nico.”

“You, too.”

Will hung up. He sat on his bed a long while before getting up and going back out to the living room. Jason was sitting on the couch, playing video games. He paused his game when Will walked in and watched him thoughtfully.

“Was that Nico?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“What did he say about Bryce?”

Will started to explain as he walked into the kitchen and grabbed two beers for them to drink. He returned to the living room and handed one over to Jason. He told Jason everything about his conversation with Nico. About Bryce, the cure and its condition, that Nico was coming back. When Will finished explaining, Jason frowned.

“Maybe he can find someone who  _ wants  _ to be a vampire?” he suggested.

“Even if that were the case, I don’t think Nico would do it.”

“Right.” Jason agreed and took a sip from his beer. “Is it really even safe for Nico to come back here though?”

Will paused. He hadn’t thought about that aspect of it.

“I’m sure with Bryce leaving, things will begin to cool down,” he answered.

Jason hummed in response. “If he’s going to be staying here, though, I’m going to go back to my apartment.”

“You really shouldn’t go back until we’re certain that Bryce is gone.

“Yeah, no offense, but I don’t know what’s worse: being here while you two decide to suck face or getting all my blood sucked out of me”

The tips of Will’s ears turned red. “I’m going to go with the second one.”

Jason just gave a shrug. “Probably.”

Before long, the two of them picked up a set of controllers and started playing more video games. But Will was only half-paying attention. His thoughts kept turning to his conversation with Nico. The more he thought about it, the less it felt real. He knew he should be feeling happy about Bryce leaving. Once he was gone, the killings would stop, and they would be safe. Yet, Will couldn’t help but focus on the fact that there was a cure, and that it was unattainable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 And I know what you're all thinking, and it's somewhere along the lines of "asdlfkhasdfkho A FUCKING CURE?!" and you're right. And now it's been explained *why* Nico's vampire ex-boyfriend turned him and abandoned him. I wasn't gonna just leave you all in the dark on that one. Also, side note, I do not speak any Greek. I kindly thank Google Translate for its assistance, and if anything is wrong in the translation or if you're mad at me for writing in a language you don't speak either - I'M SORRY lolol. SOOO... as always, kudos and comments are always appreciated :)
> 
> P.S. Idk if you noticed, but I updated to total chapters from 36 to 38. YAY! I just wrote an extra chapter last night that I wasn't planning to, and then drafted out another. I think you'll like them!


	30. Back

-Nico-

The following morning, Nico was packing what few things he had into his carry-on. Hazel had walked in to see what he was doing, and when he explained he was going back to see Will, Hazel reached over and gave Nico a hard squeeze on his arm. He flinched and narrowed his eyes at her.

“What was that for?” he asked.

“I had to pinch you to know I’m not dreaming,” she answered.

“I think you’re supposed to pinch yourself.”

“Nope! You!” she declared. “Because  _ you’re _ the big idiot that thinks going  _ back _ is a good idea.”

Nico rolled his eyes and zipped his bag closed. “I think you missed the part that  _ Will _ asked  _ me _ to come back.”

“Okay, Neeks,” she put her hands on her hips, “and what about everything else? What about those psycho scientists and Bryce?”

“The scientists won’t be able to find me again, and Bryce is leaving. Hades said he’d take care of it.”

“Ugh,” Hazel made a point to let Nico know she was annoyed. “I’m coming with you.”

“What? Hazel, no. Absolutely not. It’s dangerous.”

“My point exactly.”

“But I’m going back for Will. You have no reason to go.”

“I’m going for you, Neeks.”

“What about Frank?”

“Oh, he won’t care. He’s my boyfriend not my keeper.”

“And there’s also a huge vampire scare in the city right now. You can’t just go around feeding on people.”

“Okay.” She shrugged. “Then I’ll switch to blood bags like you.”

Nico groaned. Hazel turned around and started out of the room.

“You can’t stop me from coming with you!” she shouted. “I’m packing a bag now!”

Nico knew there was no convincing her out of it. Once Hazel had her mind set on something, she saw it through. As much as he didn’t want to put her in any danger, there was a small part of him that was happy she was coming. He’d missed Hazel, and knowing he didn’t have to say goodbye quite yet was nice.

Nico followed Hazel into her room and leaned up against the doorframe. “Where are you gonna stay? I’m staying with Will.”

“Oh?” she said, turning around, surprised. “Am I not invited to stay with you two?”

She reached for the pillow on her bed and chucked it at him. Nico ducked out of the way. For a moment he was afraid he’d offended her, but then she gave him a sly grin to let him know she was only kidding. 

“I’ll get myself a nice, cozy hotel,” she said. “I don’t think I’ll stay that long anyway. Just long enough to make sure you’re safe.”

“Sounds good.” He started out of the room. “We’re leaving in twenty minutes.”

As Hazel finished packing up her things, Nico went into the kitchen. He took the time to heat up the second blood bag that she’d gotten him the day before. He wanted to be in as much control as possible on the flight. When he finished drinking it, he sent a text to Will letting him know that Hazel would be coming, too, but that she’d be staying in a hotel. Will let him know that was fine, and that Jason offered to drive to the airport since Will didn’t have a car.

It was soon after that Hazel was ready, and the two of them took a taxi to the airport. Hazel checked her suitcase, and the two of them made it through security with their fake passports with ease. By the time they arrived and their gate, they still had about another hour before their plane was scheduled to depart.

Hazel was the first one to bring up Nico’s dinner with Hades. He realized he hadn’t told her anything about it yet, having locked himself in the guest room of her apartment after his conversation with Will the night before and stayed there until he started packing this morning. All that he’d mentioned was that Bryce was leaving, and that was that.

Nico looked around. The airport wasn’t exceptionally busy, and they were far enough away from anyone else that he could talk about it without anyone overhearing. He kept his voice low regardless. He gave Hazel a brief summary of their conversation of their lives and the world, how they talked about Hades concern with what happened to Nico and from there, moved onto Bryce.

By the time he’d told her all of that, his thoughts kept turning to the vial around his neck. Although he didn’t plan on taking it, he also didn’t want to risk losing it, so he decided to loop the chain over his neck and wear it. The vial was tucked under his sweatshirt to keep from being visible.

Despite that he really didn’t want to dwell on the fact that he wore his dream around his neck with no chance to seize it, he subsided and told her about the cure. She seemed just as surprised as Nico was to learn such a thing even existed. And when he told her about Hades’ condition and his threat if he took it without meeting the condition, she frowned. He went on to explain about how he’d turned and what happened to the boyfriend who’d turned him. Hazel took a moment to process everything before saying anything.

“You want to take it, don’t you?” she asked. “To be human again?”

“More than anything,” Nico admitted. “But it’s impossible.”

“Maybe not  _ impossible _ . There are plenty of cultish humans who would jump at the chance to be a vampire. We could find you someone—”

“It’s not a matter of finding someone. It’s the fact that I couldn’t bring myself to turn someone.”

“But why even bear that guilt?” she asked. “If you’re honest about what to expect, then that’s all you can do.”

He sighed. “I know your experience hasn’t been all that bad, Hazel. I know you’re happy with your life and with who you are and with Frank, but I’m not. And I never have been. And I  _ thought  _ I would be. When I agreed to turn, I thought this would be everything I ever wanted or needed, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. And that’s the problem. Even if a human does agree, even if I’m honest and thorough, I can’t promise them the life they want. I could be setting them up for misery without either of us knowing.”

“But it’s different,” she insisted. “What happened to you wasn’t right. You were lied to. You had false expectations.”

“That’s what Hades said, too. That’s why he gave me the vial. But it doesn’t change anything. I still… I still can’t do that to someone.”

“Not even if it meant you could be with Will?”

Her words hit him like a punch to the gut. “Not even then.”

“Oh, Neeks…” she wrapped her arm around him and gave him a gentle squeeze.

Soon enough, the announcement came over the speaker that their flight was ready to board. Nico and Hazel rose from their seats and boarded first class. Nico took a sleeping pill to help satiate the anticipated hunger and drifted off before their plane was even in the air.

He awoke again to Hazel softly shaking his arm. He yawned, stretched, and looked out of the side window to see that they had landed. He turned his cell phone back on, and after a few minutes, he received a text from Will saying that he and Jason were here.

Nico and Hazel grabbed their carry-ons and exited the plane. Nico could feel the adrenaline rush already at the idea of seeing Will again. And Jason. Last time he saw Will… A bloody image popped into his head, but he was quick to shut it out. And last time he saw Jason, his friend had  _ hated  _ him. But now they were both here, all too forgiving. And he even had Hazel by his side. He didn’t know what he did to deserve any of them.

It took Nico a good amount of self-control to keep from racing through the airport. And when he finally saw them, Will and Jason, standing side-by-side, he almost stopped moving all together. He couldn’t believe they were actually here. And they were both smiling and waving. Though Hazel didn’t know what they looked like, she must have assumed it was them, because she tugged at Nico’s sleeve, dragging him forward. 

  
  


-Will- 

Will’s initial impulse was to run over and pull Nico into his arms. Then he remembered what happened last time he hugged Nico. That had been nothing short of a disaster. So Will managed to stay put, smile and wave. By the time Nico and Hazel walked over to them, Will could tell that Nico was fighting the same impulse, and the two just looked at each other awkwardly. It wasn’t exactly the reunion he’d imagined, but it didn’t matter. Nico was back, and that’s all he cared about.

“You know,” Jason started, breaking the silence. “I suggested getting a big banner that said ‘Welcome Home, Nico!’ to bring to the airport, but Will said you’d probably beat my ass.”

Nico laughed. “I would’ve turned around and hopped on the next plane out of here.”

Will was grateful that Jason managed to make Nico laugh, to make things seem normal.

“I’m Hazel, by the way,” Nico’s friend introduced herself.

And it finally struck Will that Hazel was also a vampire. Well, he knew that before, but now he was just really beginning to understand that. She didn’t  _ look _ like a vampire. At least, not in the way Nico did. Nico sort of had that dark and brooding thing going for him with his dark hair and eyes and his all black clothes.

But Hazel was different. She had long, curly light brown hair and golden eyes. On top of that, she wore a lavender color crew neck and light blue jeans. She looked like any regular human. It made Will wonder if he’d even seen a vampire before Nico and hadn’t known. It made him wonder how many there were out there.

“I’m Will,” he said with a smile. He was unsure if he should offer a handshake or not before deciding against it.

“I’m Jason, best friend and today’s chauffeur.”

“It’s nice to meet you both,” she said and turned to Jason. “I knew Will would be here, but Nico didn’t mention you’d be coming, too.”

“Yeah well, Nico has a tendency to be a bad communicator,” Jason said pointedly. But then he grinned to show he was only joking.

“Oh I know,” Hazel agreed. “Until recently, getting him to talk was like pulling teeth.”

Nico glared at them both. “I’m right here, you know.”

“Oh, Neeks, we know,” she said, wrapping an arm around him. “You’re hard to forget.”

“Oh my gods, she calls you  _ Neeks _ ,” Jason laughed. “That’s adorable.”

“I’m really considering getting back on that plane now.” Nico turned red, shrugging Hazel’s arm off of him.

“Nope!” Hazel said. “We’re going to baggage claim.”

She started down the airport in that direction, and the three of them followed suit. Nico and Will walked side by side, and as they did, Will became increasingly aware that he hadn’t said anything to Nico yet. And Nico hadn’t said anything to him. He knew  _ why _ it was awkward. The last time they’d seen each other, Nico nearly drained him of his blood. But he wished for the normalcy that Jason and Hazel had with him. He wished  _ he  _ could be the one to make jokes and put his arm around Nico.

“I’m happy you came back,” Will said, finally.

Nico looked up at him and smiled. “I’m happy you  _ asked  _ me to come back.”

The four of them beat the rush to the baggage claim. They waited by the giant conveyor loop until Hazel recognized her bag and lifted it off the belt. She had absolutely no problem handing it over to Jason with the expectation that he’d carry it for her. And the look on Jason’s face was enough to make both Will and Nico laugh. Jason might be bold, but Hazel was bolder. And seeing her audacity without batting an eye was priceless.

Soon enough, the four of them were packed into Jason’s car with Hazel’s suitcase in the trunk, and they left the airport. Jason dropped Hazel off at a moderately priced hotel that was just down the street from Will’s apartment. Will invited her to stay and hangout for a bit, but she insisted she had jet lag and the time zones were messing her up, so she just wanted to sleep.

The other three headed back to Will’s. When they walked inside, Will let Nico know he could put his bag in his room, and after he did, the three of them sat around in Will’s living room. It seemed everything fell quiet between them again, and the atmosphere became increasingly awkward.

“So…” Jason said, breaking the tension. “Nico, how was the flight?”

“I just slept the whole time.” Nico shrugged.

Then he looked at Will, and his expression became increasingly uncomfortable.

“Will… do you still have the, uh…” he trailed off for a moment.

But Will scrunched his brow. He had no idea what Nico was asking for.

Nico sighed. “I’m sort of… hungry.”

_ Oh _ . And that was the reality of the situation. As much as Will wished for things to be normal and at ease, Nico was still a vampire. He still needed to feed. And if Nico was asking for blood right in front of Jason, after having  _ just _ arrived, he probably needed it. And bad.

“It’s in the fridge,” Will answered, thankful that his father hadn’t taken it with him when he discovered it was there.

Nico got up and walked over to the fridge. He grabbed the handle before stopping and looked over at Jason.

“Oh don’t tiptoe around the subject just cause I’m here,” Jason said. “I’ve been crashing here for days. I already saw the blood bag.”

Nico looked relieved that Jason was taking this rather well. And honestly, so was Will. He figured his talk with Jason the other day helped a lot. But he knew a good portion of this was just Jason’s acceptance of things. He ought to give Jason credit where it was due. And neither of them really  _ knew  _ what Jason was thinking either. He could just be trying to make amends with Nico out of guilt, whether or not he himself actually did feel comfortable enough with this new reality that was vampires.

While Nico heated up the blood bag in Will’s microwave, Jason asked Will if he wanted to drink, too. Beer, that is. Will got up and went to the fridge and got two bottles. He was running low ever since Jason was around. Nico drank his blood in the kitchen by himself, not quite ready to join Will and Jason in the living room. But Will didn’t mind. Everything about this situation was too much. As Will and Jason drank, Will could hear Nico washing out his glass.

Nico started walking over to them, then stood there with his hands by his sides, looking completely defeated.

“Do you want a beer, too?” Jason asked.

“I think I’m actually going to lay down, if that’s okay. I’m kind of beat.”

“You can sleep in my room,” Will told him.

Nico nodded and thanked him. He didn’t take a second longer. He left and went to Will’s room, closing the door behind him. When he was gone, Jason turned to Will.

“Is it just me, or does this feel weird?” he asked.

Will sighed. “It’s definitely weird.”

“Listen, I say this because I appreciate all the help you’ve given me the last few days, so I’m gonna offer you some advice,” Jason lowered his voice. “Get your shit together, dude.”

“What?”

“You  _ asked  _ him to come here, and now you don’t know how to act. You’re totally killing the vibe.”

Will groaned. “You’re right.”

“I know I’m right. So go in there and talk to him.”

“What do I even say?”

“Uh, I don’t know, whatever it is that human and vampire boyfriends say to each other.”

“That is some top notch advice,” Will said, standing up. He set his unfinished beer down on the table and started toward his room.

“Oh!” Jason stopped him. “And that doesn’t mean sleep with him because don’t forget I’m out here and really don’t need to hear that.”

Will rolled his eyes. “You got it, Jason.”

Will walked over to his room and opened the door. Nico was sitting on his bed, staring at his hands, seemingly lost in thought. He lifted his head when Will walked in. Will closed the door behind him and went over to sit beside Nico.

“Hey,” Will said.

“Hey,” Nico answered.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know… Everything, I guess.”

“What about everything?”

Nico paused for a moment.

“Well, it’s just that I was really excited to come back and see you. And then I saw you, and… I don’t know. You’re not talking to me, and everything is weird, and I can’t stop thinking about what I did to you or this stupid cure or anything else. I just don’t know why I’m back.” Nico looked up at him. “Why am I here, Will?”

Will frowned. “Because I asked you to be.”

“But why? I told you about the cure and how it’s never going to happen, but you said ‘we’ll figure it out.’ But I don’t know what you mean by that. There _is_ _no_ figuring it out. I can’t take it. I can’t be human, no matter how badly I want to be. No matter how badly _you_ might want me to be. And I guess we should’ve had this conversation before I hopped on a plane and came all the way back here, but now that I’m here I’m afraid that the only reason I am is because you think there’s a chance at me being human again.”

“I already told you that I wanted you to come back as you. Vampire or human. It was you I wanted to see.”

“That’s just the part I don’t understand. Why do you want to see me after what I did to you? When I’m going to stay a vampire? When I could fuck up and hurt you again?”

“Because,” Will said before pausing. And he knew why. He knew why despite everything that had happened and everything that could happen, why he wanted to see Nico again. And whether he admitted it to himself or not, it didn’t change the fact that it was true. So inhaled and decided to tell the truth. “I love you, Nico.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 Okay - we're all thinking it. WHAT THE FUCK DID WILL JUST SAY. The audacity of that boy sometimes, I swear. As always, kudos and comments are appreciated :)
> 
> P.S. I'm only going to be posting two chapters today rather than three since I added an additional two chapters yesterday, and I am now back on schedule with writing instead of ahead. I hope you understand T.T


	31. Discovery

-Nico-

Nico stared at Will. Did he hear that right? Will  _ loved  _ him? But how? And why? After everything—

“That’s impossible,” Nico said.

“It’s not  _ impossible _ ,” Will reiterated. “I do.”

“You haven’t even known me that long,” Nico said.

“I don’t care.”

Nico pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn’t know what to say to that. He felt like he didn’t deserve this. He didn’t deserve Will or his forgiveness or his love. Will didn’t know what he was saying. 

“And I just wish I could hug you right now, but…” Will trailed off. 

“But you’re afraid I might lose it and attack you?” Nico finished for him. Because that was the reality of the situation. It didn’t matter if Will  _ thought _ he might love him, what kind of love also has that amount of fear?

Will shrugged awkwardly as if to say ‘sorta, yeah.’

“And despite that, you  _ love  _ me?” Nico questioned it. And he knew maybe it was shitty that he was trying to convince Will to question it, too. But he also wanted Will to think about what he was saying, not to just confess his love impulsively.

“Yes,” Will answered. “Despite that. Despite everything.”

“I don’t think you know what you’re saying.”

“Yes, I do.”

“You can’t,” Nico answered. And he started to panic. “What does that even mean?”

Will sighed but otherwise didn’t hesitate to answer. “Even though I don’t know what that means for us or what kind of future we can have, I’m willing to figure it out day-by-day with you, if that’s what you want, too.”

“Of course it’s what I  _ want _ ,” Nico clarified. “I just don’t get  _ how. _ ”

“It doesn’t matter how. It’s how I feel.”

“You’ve lost your mind,” Nico huffed.

But nothing he was saying was working because Will was  _ smiling _ .

“Are you amused?” Nico asked.

“I am,” Will said. “Because you just told me that you also want to figure it out with me but are fighting to tell me I don’t. Even though  _ I  _ am the one who said they love  _ you. _ ”

“Will Solace, are you hearing yourself?”

“I love you. And I’ll keep saying it until you believe me.”

Hearing those words made Nico’s heart swell and his head spin. And as much as he didn’t understand how Will could feel that way about him, he also didn’t want Will to take back what he said. He was done trying to convince Will otherwise. Maybe it would be okay.

“Fine,” Nico relented. “You can love me if you want.”

Will chuckled and shook his head. “Thank you for your permission.”

Nico smiled back.

“And about that hug—I just fed,” Nico said, leaning into Will. And gods it was nice to touch, to feel Will. “So you can—”

Then Will wrapped his arms around him and pulled him in. Nico sank into his warmth, happily.

“I missed you,” Nico said.

“I missed you, too.”

Nico raised his arms and looped them up under Will’s, hugging him back. Will  _ loved  _ him. As is. Nothing else mattered. Nico smiled. Will placed his finger under his chin, tilted his face upward, and kissed him. Nico’s heart nearly stopped. As if they were kissing for the first time. And maybe it was different now, because now he knew Will  _ loved  _ him. And he couldn’t stop thinking about it, and the more he did, the happier he felt.

Nico could feel the threat of his fangs starting to sharpen, and he slowly pulled away. But rather than be angry with himself or scared, he understood that now this was just a part of it. A part of him. Will said they would figure things out, and they would. It just would take a little patience and understanding.

“It’s going to take me time, you know,” Nico said, putting a bit more space between them, “to recover from everything.”

“I know. But we’ll get there. Day-by-day.”

“Day-by-day,” Nico repeated with a yawn.

It seemed the jetlag was finally starting to catch up with him.

“Do you want to sleep for a bit?” Will asked.

“Yeah,” Nico answered.

Will stood up and crossed the room. He turned off the light. But instead of leaving, he turned back around and crawled over to the farside of the bed near the wall and laid down.

“Are you tired, too?” Nico asked before laying down beside him. 

He pulled the covers over the both of them.

“I just want to stay with you a little longer,” Will answered.

Nico smiled. “Such a  _ romantic _ ,” he teased.

Will laughed. He reached across the bed and grabbed a hold of Nico’s hand. They stared at each other in the dark for a long moment before Will closed his eyes with a smile.

Nico couldn’t help but watch him. He was beautiful with his golden curls and his smooth skin and a face that looked as if it’d been painted by the gods themselves. But Will was more than that. He was kind and smart and righteous and forgiving and funny and honest and brave. He was all of the things that Nico admired and more. And Will  _ loved _ him.

A part of Nico feared what that meant, to accept Will’s feelings and trust them. But there was no changing Will’s mind. He’d tried afterall. Nico knew it wasn’t a matter of the mind, anyway. He could think and guess and try to talk himself out of it if he wanted, but at the end of the day, it all depended on how he  _ felt _ . Maybe that was all they needed. They just needed to accept how they felt, and everything else they could face as it came.

“Will?” Nico whispered.

“Hmm?” Will hummed, his eyes closed.

“I love you, too.”

And when Will smiled, Nico knew peace.

  
  


-Will- 

It was already dark out by the time Will woke up again. Will awoke to a sleeping Nico with his face half-hidden behind his dark hair. Will couldn’t believe it. Nico had actually told him he loved him back. After Will had said it himself, he wasn’t expecting Nico to say it. He just wanted to be honest with Nico. He didn’t need anything in return. And then Nico actually  _ argued  _ with Will about his feelings, and Will  _ definitely _ didn’t expect him to say it back. But that was okay with Will. He didn’t expect Nico to have his feelings sorted out. And then Nico had said it. Nico loved him, too.

Will reached over and brushed Nico’s hair out of his face to tuck it behind his ear. Nico stirred awake, opened his eyes and looked back at him, sleepily. He smiled.

“You can keep sleeping,” Will told him.

Will crawled over him and got out of bed. He strolled back out into the living room to join Jason. Jason was laying on his back on the couch, scrolling through his phone.

“About time!” the blond said, flipping over. “How did things go? Is it gonna be normal here again or am I gonna suffocate in all the weirdness?”

“It’s fine,” Will told him. “We worked things out.”

“Good!” Jason sat up. “I was afraid I was going to have to find somewhere else to crash. Maybe that hotel with Hazel. I get she’s a vampire and all, but she’s really hot—”

“Don’t let Nico hear you talking about her like that,” Will cut him short. “She’s like his little sister.”

“Oh, like he’d do anything about it.” Jason rolled his eyes.

“And I’m fairly certain from what Nico told me that she has a boyfriend.”

“Damn. How come all these vampires can find love, but poor old me gets dumped?”

“Maybe because you’re like,” Will gestured vaguely at him and the mess of beer bottles around him, “this.”

Jason scrunched his brow. “Ouch. I am in post-break up  _ mourning _ . Cut a guy some slack.”

Just then, the two were interrupted by a knocking at the door. They both looked at each other, confused. Neither of them were expecting anyone, and Hazel didn’t know where Will lived. Will walked over to the door and checked through the peephole to see his father standing on the other side with grocery bags in his hands.  _ Shit.  _ Will froze, unsure of what to do. Maybe he could just pretend like he wasn’t home.

But then his father pulled out his phone and started dialing. Will’s phone began to ring from his side of the door, and his father must’ve heard it, must’ve known he was there, because he started knocking again.

“Will?” his father called from the other side.

His father  _ definitely  _ knew he was home. Will didn’t have much of a choice but to let him in. He just hoped he was just here to drop off groceries and leave.

Will opened the door and awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Hi, Will. I brought you some groceries, and—” his father said, stepping inside. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Jason, sitting on the couch and staring back at him. “Oh. Hello. I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Dr. Apollo.”

“Hey there, Doc,” Jason grinned. “I’m Jason. It’s nice to meet you!”

His father crossed the room and went into the kitchen. He set the groceries on the counter and turned back around to Jason. “I don’t think Will has mentioned you before. Are you a friend from school?”

“Actually, I’m—” Jason started before seeing Will’s glare-to-end-all-glares and snapping his mouth closed. “I’m… uh… a friend of a friend. My girlfriend kicked me out, so Will’s been letting me crash here until I get myself a new place.”

“Oh, is he?” his father turned back to Will. “Will’s always been generous like that.”

And Will recognized that tone. It was the  _ I know you’re lying to me _ tone of suspicion.

“Well, I hope you don’t mind my intrusion,” his father continued. “As I’m sure you know, Will was only just released from the hospital last week, after being attacked and left for dead by a vampire, so I thought I’d help him run some errands. But it seems he has _you_.”

His father wasn’t playing around. He’d said that so casually, that Will knew whatever game he was playing, he was winning. The smile wiped right off of Jason’s face as he paled in response.

“Yep,” Will said, pretending not to have noticed. “So as you can see, I’m doing fine, and—”

And then Will’s bedroom door opened, and his heart just about stopped.

“Hey, I heard someone come in,” Nico said, stepping out. “Is everything—”

Then Nico saw Will’s father, and he froze. His eyes went wide.

“ _ You _ ,” his father said accusingly. “How  _ bold  _ of you to be here after nearly  _ killing  _ my  _ son. _ ”

His father started forward, and Will grabbed onto his arm. “Dad, stop!”

“Absolutely not,” his father pulled his arm free. He directed his attention back to Nico. “ _ You’re _ coming with  _ me. _ ”

Nico didn’t need to hear anything more before turning on his heel and slamming Will’s bedroom door shut. Will’s father ran over to the door and tried the knob to find it was locked. He started pounding on the door.

“Let me in!” he shouted. “I swear by the gods I’m going to make you regret what you did to Will.”

“Dad, stop!” Will tried again. “Leave him alone! Let me explain.”

But his father saw red. There was no getting through to him. Will’s heart was racing as he tried to figure out what to do next. Then his father took a step back and slammed his shoulder against the door, making it rattle against the frame.

“Dad! You’re going to break my door! You have to  _ stop _ !”

“Stop protecting him, Will!” His father shouted at him. He slammed his shoulder up against the door again.

“We have to talk about this!”

“What is there to talk about, Will?” His father turned to him. “I have tried to talk to you about a thousand times, and every time you lie to me. Now I find the vampire that almost killed you  _ in your bedroom _ of all places, and you want me to stop and  _ talk _ ?!”

“Dad, I know it doesn’t look good, but it’s not what you think,” Will pled.

“Dr. Apollo,” Jason tried speaking up. “I’m Nico’s friend, and I can promise you—”

“Nico?” his father repeated. “So that’s his name? At least I got  _ one _ thing out of this.” He whipped around turning to Jason. “And what does that make you? Another vampire?”

“Oh no, I’m very much human,” Jason said, raising his hands in defense. “But I’ve known Nico for two years and—”

“I don’t care how long you’ve known him!” his father snapped. He turned back around and tried the door knob again. “Nico! You better open this damn door!”

His father pressed all of his weight into the door knob, twisting it until it broke. He shoved the door open and stormed inside, Will hot on his heel. But when they entered, they were met by a cold winter breeze. The window was open, and Nico was gone. Will sighed relief. But that didn’t save him from the wrath of his father. His father ran over to the window and looked outside, but there wasn’t a soul in sight. He slammed the window closed, pushed past Will, and marched out into the living room. Will followed him out.

“I’m done with this, Will,” his father said. “I am done with you refusing to tell me anything, hiding things from me, and putting yourself in danger before it’s too late. You’re coming home with me whether you like it or not.” He paused, switching his attention to Jason. “And you. Why are you really here?”

For the first time since Will knew him, it looked like Jason had nothing to say.

Will tried his best to step in. “Remember when I told you there’s another vampire here?”

His father nodded, waiting for him to continue.

So Will explained everything. He knew there was no hiding anything from his father any longer, not if he had even a sliver of a chance at his father understanding. Jason listened, too. Though he’d told everything to Jason already, this time he didn’t spare the details. Well, except for the fact that he’d  _ slept _ with his vampire boyfriend. But neither of them needed to know that.

He told his father all about how the second vampire kidnapped Nico, about what he did to Nico. He explained how he sought help from Cecil and Lou Ellen, and how he went after Nico. He told the truth about Nico’s nearly killing him, and about how Nico left for Europe promptly after, not mentioning Greece in particular. Will told him about there being a father of all vampires, and how he’d agreed to summon this second vampire back. How Jason was a potential target, so he’d been staying with him until they were sure the threat was gone.

“And what about this Nico?” his father asked. “Why is he back? Why was he  _ here _ in your  _ room _ ?”

“Because I asked him to come back, Dad.”

“Why?”

“Because,” Will answered, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Because  _ why _ , Will? Is he in danger? Are you trying to protect him, too?”

“Because I  _ want _ him to be here.”

“ _ Why,  _ Will? Are you forgetting the part that he almost killed you? Because I certainly haven’t.” Then the anger in his father’s tone shifted to something more honest. “It’s been the only thing I’ve been able to think about since you arrived in the hospital. I can barely eat. I can barely sleep. All I do is live in fear that one day I’m going to get a phone call and learn that my son is dead.”

“What happened was an accident. A big one. I understand that. But Nico isn’t like that. Nothing like that will happen again.”

“Last time we talked, when I found that blood bag in your refrigerator, you also promised he’d ever hurt you. And look what’s happened.” His father then turned to Jason. “What about you? What do you make of all of this?”

Jason’s eyes grew wide. It was obvious he did  _ not _ want to be a part of this conversation. But Dr. Apollo had dragged him in nonetheless.

“I get where you’re coming from,” Jason answered. “Trust me when I say I do. That’s why… that’s why when I found out about who Nico really was, I stopped talking to him for weeks. Why when I found out about the reporter and the bounty hunters, why I called the cops on him… But then Will explained everything to me. And if you knew Nico, you’d know he really isn’t dangerous. What happened to Will was a big fuck-up, and there’s no downplaying that. But it’s Will’s decision of whether or not to forgive him. Not mine, and… not yours.”

Jason was bold. Will would give him that. And Will was grateful that Jason was coming to his defense, and sort of talking out of his ass, because Will hadn’t ever actually told him that Nico nearly killed him before now. But his father seemed to at least appreciate Jason’s honesty because he didn’t remark on his language or his last statement.

His father turned to Will and said, “And Cecil and Lou Ellen know about all of this, too?”

“Well,” Will broke eye-contact. “I may have left out the part that it was Nico who attacked me… They just kind of assumed it was the other vampire.”

His father sighed and said, “And you didn’t tell them because you  _ know _ it’s unforgivable, right? Because you know you would sound insane if you told him you were  _ continuing  _ to date the vampire who nearly killed you.”

Will shrugged awkwardly. “I just haven’t had the chance to tell them yet.”

“You have had plenty of chances, Will. I didn’t raise you like this. I raised you to be smarter than this.”

Will frowned. His father wasn’t exactly wrong. But still…

“I want you to come home with me,” his father said before turning to Jason. “Both of you. We have a guest room you can stay in. Until this other vampire or whoever leaves. Cut out this Nico once and for all.”

Jason’s expression turned to hesitation, and Will couldn’t blame him. Even  _ he _ didn’t want to go home with his father. Not when he was in a mood like this.

“Dad, we’re safe here. We’re fine. The other vampire might even already be gone for all we know.”

“But you  _ don’t _ know.”

“And I never will if you hole me up in your house and refuse to let me talk to Nico. I can’t live under your thumb like that,” Will said, putting down his foot. “I’m a full-grown adult. I’m not cutting out Nico, and I’m not going back with you.”

His father looked angry. “If you continue to date this  _ vampire _ , regardless of what I have to say about it, then I am done.”

His father started toward the door, opened it, stepped out, and slammed the door behind him. Will exhaled.

“Dude,” Jason said. “That was  _ scary _ .”

Will groaned. Scary was putting it lightly.

Before Will could say anything else, Jason added, “You also never told me that Nico almost killed you.”

“Ah, uh…” Will hesitated. “Remember when I told you Nico left and the reason behind our break up was personal?”

Jason nodded.

“Well, that’s why,” Will said.

He was sick of explaining things, but he had a feeling this was only the beginning. There was Cecil and Lou Ellen afterall.

“Damn, and I thought  _ my  _ break up with Piper was bad,” he said. “But I guess like I told your dad, it’s your place to forgive him. Not mine. And I already fucked up good enough than to hold any grudges.”

Will rubbed his temple. “Thanks, Jason.”

Then Will looked to his phone. “I should probably call Nico now and make sure he’s okay.”

“Good idea,” Jason added. “But maybe wait a few more minutes to make sure your dad is actually gone and doesn’t come back in an absolute rampage again.”

“Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 Jeeez, Nico, took you long enough to say you love Will back. Then again, if someone told me they loved me, I, too, would spend half a chapter trying to convince them otherwise lmaooo. Ugh, and Apollo just showing up.
> 
> Also, after today - only 7 more chapters omggg. That means this story will be completely FINISHED and POSTED by Thursday, 12/31 (or sooner, depending on how fast I write). But the story isn't over yet, folks! Feel free to post your predictions because I absolutely love reading them hahah. And, of course, kudos and comments are always appreciated :)


	32. Distractions

-Nico-

Nico was fairly certain he’d shattered every last bone in his feet and legs when he hit the ground. The jump from Will’s apartment window was a high one, and had he not been a vampire, it likely would have killed him. He covered his mouth with his hands to keep from screaming as he heard and felt his bones crunch, and the agony swept through him without mercy. He dragged himself across the alleyway out of sight of the window, heart pounding, as he waited for everything to heal once again. It took longer than he would have liked, but it was a fucking hard fall, so it wasn’t unexpected. And dealing with this was still preferable than dealing with Will’s father.

“Fuck,” Nico hissed.

Will’s fucking father. Nico had known it was him before he even heard Will call him ‘Dad.’ They looked practically identical, the only obvious distinction being the age difference. Oh, and the anger. He’d never seen anger like that in Will before. Fear, surprise, confusion, sure; but never raw anger. And it was fucking terrifying. Nico had turned around and locked himself in Will’s room before he could even think. And when he could hear that Will’s father was not about to give up any time soon, he looked to the only other exit he had. The window.

It’d taken a few agonizing minutes, but eventually the pain in his legs and feet subsided, and he knew he’d healed. Nico dashed down the alleyway, unsure of where he might go at first before remembering Hazel was here and down the street. When he got to her hotel, he called her.

“Hey, Neeks,” she answered with a yawn. “What’s up?”

“I’m outside of your hotel. Can you come down and get me?”

“Sure. I’ll be right there,” she answered, and Nico could hear her walking around. “Did something happen?”

“Yeah, Will’s fucking dad showed up at his apartment and found me in Will’s bedroom.”

“Oh my gods.”

“I locked the door before he could come in and had to jump out of the fucking window.”

“Oh my  _ gods _ ,” she repeated.

“I know, Hazel.”

“Okay, I’m getting on the elevator now. I’ll be right down.”

Nico hung up and waited outside. He didn’t want to wait in the lobby because he had nothing but socks on his feet, and he didn’t want to draw any attention or weird stares to himself. Once Hazel came outside and retrieved him, the two of them rushed across the lobby and back into the elevator. She led him up to her hotel room, and Nico sat down on one of the beds.

Nico spent a good fifteen minutes self-wallowing. His boyfriend’s father  _ hated _ him. And Nico knew he had every right to. He just wished he didn’t. Nico wanted to make things with Will as best and as easy as possible, not get between him and his father.

Hazel was kind enough to listen to him vent about it, but she couldn’t help but laugh over the fact that he’d jumped out a fucking window to avoid his boyfriend’s father like some teenage punk caught in the act. And distress aside, Nico figured it  _ was  _ kind of funny when she put it like that, and soon enough he managed to laugh at what happened, too.

“You know what we need?” Hazel asked.

“What?”

“A distraction!” she said.

Nico huffed and fell back onto Hazel’s bed. “Like what?”

“I’m thinking we should hit the town tonight.”

“What?”

“Yep!” she said, plopping down on the bed beside him. “We need a good old fashioned night out. It is my first time here, after all.”

Nico sat up. “My  _ human _ boyfriend’s  _ father _ , who wants to  _ kill _ me, found me in his  _ fucking bedroom _ , and  _ you _ want to go  _ out _ ?”

“Oh yeah. That’s exactly what I want,” she smiled. “You have been nothing but a big ball of stress since we got back in touch. You need to relax.”

Nico frowned. “Are you forgetting the part where I very much lack any needed control whatsoever? I shouldn’t be going out.”

Hazel thought it over briefly before saying. “Fine, then i’ll go on a blood run. We’ll fill a few flasks with blood, and that way, in case you need it, you have it.”

Nico rolled his eyes.

“You will be  _ fine _ , Nico. And if you’re not, I’m stronger than you anyway, so I’ll get you under control.”

Nico huffed.

“Come on,” she insisted. “For me?”

“Okay,” Nico relented. “You win.”

“Great!” she cheered. “Now tell me where the best place to hit for blood is.”

Nico opened his mouth to give her a few suggestions when his phone rang. He looked at it to see Will’s name on the screen.

“Aren’t you going to answer it?” Hazel asked.

“What if it’s Will’s father?”

“Then you hang up.”

Nico inhaled before answering the call.

“Hello?” he asked tentatively.

“Hey, Nico,” and Nico was relieved to hear it was Will’s voice. “My dad’s gone now. But did you seriously jump out of my window?”

“I panicked.”

“Me, too. Are you okay?”

“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” Nico said.

“Well, you can come back now, if you want. My dad isn’t going to be coming back anytime soon.”

“Actually, Hazel wants to drag me out tonight.”

“I’m not  _ dragging  _ you anywhere,” Hazel shoved him, playfully. Then she leaned into Nico’s phone and said, “He agreed to come, Will!”

“Well, there you have it,” Nico said.

“Are you okay to be going out?” Will asked, concerned.

Before Nico had the chance to answer, he heard Jason shouting in the background.

“Going out?!” Jason shouted. “I wanna come!”

“Yes!” Hazel agreed. “The more, the merrier!”

Nico pinched the bridge of his nose. “Will, I’m putting my phone on speaker phone so that Hazel can hear. Can you put your phone on speaker phone for a second, too?”

“Sure thing,” Will answered. “You’re on speaker.”

“Jason,” Nico said. “You cannot come out. We don’t even know for sure if Bryce is gone yet.”

“I’ll be good,” Jason insisted. “I’ve been holed up in Will’s apartment for  _ days _ . I could use a night out. Plus, I’ll have you and Hazel there. He’ll be outnumbered as far as vampires go.”

Nico looked over to Hazel.

“Even if Bryce is still here, we’ll be in public,” Hazel added. “He won’t do anything.”

“Yes!” Jason cheered. “We’re going downtown.”

“Hey, Will,” Hazel said. “Do you want to invite some of your friends out to join us, too?”

There was a pause before Will answered. “I’ll… uh… ask.”

And Nico suddenly felt like he had whiplash. One minute he was running from Will’s father, and the next they were all making plans to go out? It felt like too much too soon. But Hazel and Jason were both forces to be reckoned with, and together, they seemed like an unstoppable one.

Nico clicked his phone off speaker and held it back up to his ear. He walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him so that he could talk to Will in private. “Will, it’s Nico. I took you off speaker phone.”

“Okay,” Will answered. “You, too.”

“You don’t have to come out with us if you don’t want to. I know we’ve just been through a whirlwind of everything already today. I mean, I just got off a fucking plane this morning, and—”

“I’ll go,” Will answered. “Maybe Hazel is right. Maybe we need a little bit of a break. We can just go out, have fun, and just have a normal night. I just want to make sure everyone else feels safe going, too.”

“Okay, if you’re sure,” Nico said. “And don’t feel pressured to invite Cecil and Lou Ellen if you don’t want to. Meeting two vampires at once could be... overwhelming.”

Will thought it over for a moment before answering, “No, I’ll invite them. I’m sure Cecil will want to come, but I can’t speak for Lou.”

Nico squeezed his eyes closed. How had he let Hazel talk him into this? “Alright, we’ll just let me know, then.”

“I will. Bye, Nico. See you soon.”

“See ya.”

Nico hung up to see that he already had a text from Jason while he was still on the phone.

Jason: _ i’ll drive there, but someone else has to drive my car back because i am getting DRUNK _

Nico:  _ sounds good, jay _

Nico headed out of the bathroom to see an eager Hazel already rummaging through her suitcase.

“Are they both coming?” she asked.

“Seems like it.” He shrugged.

“Fantastic!” she said, standing up and holding up a pair of flasks. “I’m going out to get us some blood now.”

“You packed flasks, Hazel? Are you for real?”

“I anticipated having a little fun, what can I say?”

Nico rolled his eyes.

“You need something to wear, Neeks,” she pointed out. “And shoes.”

He opened his phone and sent a follow up text to Will.

Nico:  _ i’m coming back to your apartment now. i’ll need to get clothes from my carry-on _

Will:  _ okay. text me when you’re here. and tell hazel she can come get ready here, too _

Nico relayed the details, and Hazel told him what to say in response.

Nico:  _ she said she’ll come, but she’ll be a bit later. she’s getting us blood to bring in flasks, just in case _

Will:  _ alright. i’m gonna call cecil and lou ellen now. see you soon! _

Nico waited for Hazel to finish packing a small bag that she intended to bring to Will’s to get ready. He’d been through a lot today after all. His plane landing. Being reunited with Jason after weeks. The awkwardness between Will and him. Will saying he  _ loved  _ him. Nico saying it  _ back.  _ And gods, everything that had happened with Will’s father. Now, going out as if nothing had happened? Potentially meeting Will’s two best friends? Okay, so this wasn’t exactly the way Nico had thought this day was going to end up, but maybe it was for the best. Maybe everyone was right. Maybe he did just need to relax.

  
  
  


-Will-

As Jason was most familiar with the night-life in the city, they let him decide where they would be going and at what time. Will sent a text with the details to Cecil and Lou Ellen. Will realized in all the mayhem he’d never actually told his friends who Jason was or that he’d been staying with him. He’d never even told them that Nico had  _ left. _ Part of that was because he didn’t want to tell them what Nico had done to him. They’d just assumed it was Bryce, and he didn’t want to confess otherwise. He was sure if he told them, they’d hate Nico. And as angry as Will had been at the time, he didn’t want that. 

Earlier, Will had called them, Cecil was easy to convince, but Lou Ellen took a little bit of work. Will went on to explain that Hazel was bringing flasks of blood for herself and Nico, so neither of them would be feeding on humans. He told them that Hazel was a longtime friend, practically a little sister, to Nico, so she was one of the ‘good’ vampires. From the short time he’d met her, she seemed nice, too. Eventually Lou Ellen gave an exasperated sigh and agreed. “Someone needs to keep you two idiots in line,” as she put it. 

Will felt nervous about it. Not because Nico and Hazel would hurt them or anything, but because it would be their first time meeting Nico. And they both had their biases, as polar opposite as they were. He just hoped they’d be able to see Nico for Nico instead of as just a vampire.

Nico arrived at Will's apartment shortly thereafter. Nico had dragged Will back into his bedroom to talk about what just happened. Will explained his conversation—well, argument—with his father and how Jason had come to his defense. He assured Nico that as angry as his father might be, he was still a good person, and he was positive he wouldn’t turn Nico in. His father just needed time to cool off, to process, so all they could do for now was wait.

“Besides,” Will told him, “you’re going to meet Cecil and Lou Ellen tonight. Don’t worry about my dad.”’

Another hour passed before Hazel joined them as well. Soon enough, the four of them were all getting ready. Nico had a few new outfits in his carry-on that Hazel had bought him in Greece which he ironed out, and Will lent Jason something to wear as they were both similar in height and build. Hazel brought her own clothes and took the time to do her makeup in the bathroom mirror. When they were all dressed and ready to go, Jason looked them all over and whistled.

“We look  _ good _ ,” he commented. He started toward the door. 

The four of them headed out and Jason started up his car. Will sat in the front passenger’s seat, and Hazel climbed into the car, absolutely beaming, and squeezed into the backseat next to Nico. Jason turned up the music and headed downtown.

When he pulled up in front of their destination, Will could already hear the music from inside the car, and through the black windows, he could see the movement of lights inside. Will’s eyes grew wide. This was not what he’d been expecting.

“Jason, you took us to a  _ club _ ?” Nico asked.

“It’s Hazel’s first time here! I thought we should go somewhere fun,” Jason answered.

“Woohoo!” Hazel cheered. “I’m ready to party!”

Jason parked the car just up the street, and the four of them climbed out and made their way over to the club. Will could tell Nico was getting kind of nervous, so he wrapped his arm around his shoulders and pulled him into him.

“You okay?” Will asked.

“It’s just… not what I was expecting. I thought we’d be going to a bar. Something more lowkey.”

“It’s not too late to go back to my apartment and switch into sweats,” Will pointed out.

Nico grinned. “As much as I would like that, I’m fairly certain Hazel would find a way to kill me if I ditched her.”

“If she didn’t, I would!” Jason spun around.

“Fuck, Grace,” Nico scowled. “Didn't anyone ever teach you it’s rude to eavesdrop?”

“Not my fault you both suck at whispering.” He shrugged.

They arrived at the front door of the club, where they all showed their IDs to the bouncer and paid the covers. They’d barely made it to the actual bar when Will heard his name being called. He whipped around to see Cecil and Lou Ellen standing behind him.

“Will!” Cecil cheered.

“It’s good to see you not in a hospital bed.” Lou Ellen smiled.

“Hey guys!” He hugged them both.  _ Here goes nothing _ . He inhaled. “Let me introduce you to everyone.”

Everyone turned around to face each other.

“This is Nico, Jason, and Hazel,” he gestured to each of them accordingly. “And this is Cecil and Lou Ellen.”

Cecil was the first to speak up, unsurprisingly. “Hi Nico! It’s so good to finally meet you. I have like a hundred questions.”

Even in the darkness of the bar, Will could see Nico pale. Will wished he could’ve prepared Nico for this or at least told Cecil to keep his mouth shut.

“First of all,” Cecil continued, “what’s like to be Will’s first boyfriend ever?”

Will didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but he felt relieved Cecil didn’t bring up anything vampire-related. Nico must’ve been, too, because he started laughing.

“Will didn’t share  _ that _ fun fact with me,” Nico answered, “but now I’m feeling honored.”

Cecil looked amused. “Also, did you know you have like one of the worst cell phone providers ever. They’re  _ so  _ easy to hack. You should really switch to…”

And Will tuned them out. It wasn’t really his conversation to be in. He looked over at Lou Ellen, who he expected to be uncomfortable with the whole situation, but found she was chatting nicely with Hazel and asking about Europe.

Will then switched his attention to Jason, who just gave an amused shrug. After a few minutes of everyone chatting and getting to know each other, Will decided he could really go for a drink. He joined Jason who was leaning on the bar with a credit card in his hand, waiting for the bartender to come their way.

“Let’s do shots!” Jason shouted to Will over the music.

Hazel looked over. “I’m in!”

“Me, too!” Cecil joined.

“Everybody is doing SHOTS!” Jason announced.

Eventually the bartender came around, and before Jason had the chance to order, he approached Hazel instead. Jason looked to Will offended.

“It’s just because she’s hot!” he said.

Hazel ordered six shots of something, and Will had absolutely no idea what it was except for that it was  _ expensive _ , because the bartender went for the top shelf.

“Uh, Hazel,” Jason said. “I don’t know how things work in your world, but the rest of us are broke college students.”

She flashed a smile at him. “On me!”

The bartender returned and lined up six shot glasses before filling each of them with clear liquor. Hazel handed him a hefty tip, and they each grabbed a glass and held them together in the air.

“Cheers!” Hazel said.

“To sugar mama, Hazel,” Jason added.

And they clicked their drinks together before taking their shots. Will didn’t know much about liquor, being more of a beer person himself, but he guessed it was rather smooth, though it also—like any liquor—burned his throat like liquid fire.

“Let’s do another!” Hazel announced.

And so they did. Which was much harder for Will to take the second time, already anticipating the taste. He tried his best not to make a face, but Nico must’ve noticed because he was looking at Will and laughing. Will chuckled at himself in turn and rolled his eyes.

“Okay,” Cecil interrupted, turning to Nico. “I have been  _ very good _ at not talking about you-know-what, so I think I’ve earned myself one question, right?”

Nico’s eyes went wide. “What is it?”

Will really and truly considered grabbing Cecil by the arm and dragging him away.

“Can you get drunk?”

Nico looked relieved, which in turn made Will feel relieved. Will realized he’d been wondering that, too, but never got around to actually asking. Nico just smiled.

“Hazel and I have very high metabolisms, so it takes  _ a lot _ of alcohol,” Nico explained. “But yes. Eventually. Though it is usually quite short lived.”

“Interesting,” Cecil mused. “We’ll have to take many, many shots then.”

“Oh no. I’m cutting you off at three,” Nico joked. “I still remember what happened last time you got drunk and called me from Will’s phone.”

For a split second, Cecil looked embarrassed, but he was quick to brush it off. “It was all in the spirit of Hanukkah! I bear no responsibility.”

Before anyone could say anything else, Hazel ordered another round of drinks. Mixed drinks this time, and Will couldn’t be more grateful that she wasn’t making him take another shot. When everyone had a drink in their hands, Hazel looked over to them, pushing herself higher up onto her toes.

“Let’s go dance!” Hazel shouted, decidedly, and grabbed Lou Ellen by the hand.

Lou Ellen shot Will a very worried look. For a moment, Will feared it was because Lou Ellen was still hesitant about this vampire thing, but then she mouthed “I can’t dance!” at Will before she was whisked away.

Jason then grabbed onto Nico, which meant Will followed. And Cecil, not wanting to be left alone, chased after them. The six of them weaved their way through the crowd of people until they found an opening big enough to fit all of them. Nico found a place next to Will and leaned into him.

“FYI, I am  _ not  _ dancing,” Nico said.

Will laughed. “Are you scared you’ll show everyone up with your moves?”

“Oh, Will. I can’t dance to save my life.”

“I highly doubt that,” Will gave him a wry smile and leaned over to whisper in his ear. “I’ve seen what you can do with your hips.”

Nico nearly choked on his drink and gave Will a playful shove.

“And here I thought you couldn’t dirty talk,” he said, jokingly. “Is it still too late to take you up on your offer to go back to your apartment?”

“You know I’d leave here in a heartbeat if that’s what you wanted.”

Nico grinned and took another sip from his drink. Everyone else seemed to be having fun, especially Hazel. She moved like a goddess on the dance floor. Jason and Cecil were already drunk, and they danced along to the beat, too, between taking chugs from their drinks. Even Lou Ellen managed to loosen up a bit and started to shake her hips, too.

It continued on like that for a while. Everyone was carefree and having fun. Hazel tried taking Nico by the hand and forcing him to dance with her, but he gave her a look that said  _ not in a million years _ , and she quickly backed off with a wink. Eventually all of the alcohol started getting to Will’s head and even he couldn’t help but sway along to the music. Nico laughed at him, which made Will decide to dance absolutely shamelessly in turn, just to get a rise out of him. Then the song changed, and Hazel’s eyes lit up.

“Oh my gods!” Hazel shouted. “I love this song! I’m pretty sure it was  _ made  _ for me.”

Hazel closed her eyes and threw her head back as she started dancing. Her curly hair bounced behind her, and she looked swept away by the beat. Will hadn’t actually been paying attention, as all of the dancing and pop music kind of blended together to him. But When Hazel said that, he started listening to the lyrics.

_ “I think she's got that true blood _

_ Every time you're 'round I can smell it in you _

_ She's got that true blood _

_ I come around and raise the hell out of you.” _

Will looked at Nico. He must’ve been doing the same thing because he looked immediately uncomfortable. Will stepped in closer to him and lowered his face to Nico’s ear so that he didn’t haven’t to shout over the music.

“Do you want to step outside for a minute and take a break from dancing?”

“No.” Nico shook his head. “I don’t want to run away with my tail between my legs just because I heard the word ‘blood.’”

“Whatever you want,” Will said. “I’m here for you.”

Nico smiled reassuringly at Will. Then Jason approached them, waving his empty glass in the air.

“I’m gonna run back to the bar to get another drink,” Jason shouted. “Does anyone else want anything?”

“Oh! Can you get me a vodka sprite?” Hazel asked. 

“Okay, but just a heads up, it’s gonna be well vodka because I’m not made of money.”

Hazel dug into her purse and handed him a rather large bill. “No it’s not!”

Jason’s eyes grew wide, but he took the money. “Alright. Be right back, then.”

He turned around and started making his way back through the crowd. Will looked over at Nico, who was already looking at him. They both smiled. Will grabbed Nico’s hand and pulled him in closer.

“This is actually kind of fun,” Will admitted.

“Your friends are amazing,” Nico agreed. “Well, Lou Ellen hasn’t actually said much to me yet, but that might be because Hazel’s been talking her ear off. And I do like Cecil a lot.”

“Oh just wait until you actually get to know him,” Will teased.

“He can’t be any worse than Jason,” Nico laughed.

And Will loved seeing Nico laugh. He loved seeing him so happy and carefree. To be out with their friends and having fun, and enjoying a life of normalcy. In that moment, he wished he could give Nico the world. This kind of night every night. A night without hurt or sadness or worry. A night where they could be themselves and enjoy everything around them. And Will decided he would find a way. He’d find a way for them, day-by-day, just as he promised. Because he loved Nico and because Nico loved him. So beneath the flashing lights of the club, with the loud music filling their ears, and maybe a little too much vodka coursing through him, Will leaned in and gave Nico a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 If you were wondering about the total chapter count increasing- this was one of the chapters I didn't originally plan on writing. But I'm happy I did because, boy, sometimes Nico and Will just need a break. And more importantly - EVERYONE FINALLY MET! WHOOO! VAMPIRE/ HUMAN PALOOZA! Anyways, kudos and comments are always appreciated :)
> 
> P.S. The song playing is "True Blood" by Justin Timberlake. I've never heard this song in my life before writing this chapter and had to do a bit of research/ digging to find something that worked. But if you know some good songs that might fit with the vampire/ club vibe, drop 'em in the comments ;)


	33. Change

-Nico-

Nico was surprised when Will leaned in and kissed him. Not that he wasn’t happy about it, because he very much was, but because he was also aware that they were in public, surrounded by their friends. For a split second, Nico wondered if he should care, but feeling Will’s lips on his very quickly washed away that thought. He was just happy that Will was kissing him.

But it also was a lot. And Nico still wasn’t in full control of himself. So as much as he desperately wanted to continue to kiss Will back, he pressed his lips firm to Will’s before pulling away. Before today, he would’ve felt bad about that. He would’ve felt guilt for struggling just to kiss his boyfriend. But Will just looked back at him with warmth and understanding, and Nico knew it was okay.  _ Day-by-day _ , as Will had promised.

Feeling the ache starting to rise to his canines, Nico decided to get ahead of things rather than try to ignore it. In a room full of people, now was not the time to practice withholding. It was not the time to take any chances. He pulled the flask that Hazel had given him from the inside of his jacket pocket. He unscrewed the cap and took a few small sips. His fangs came out at the taste of blood, but he refused to drink it all at once in case he needed some for later.

Hazel must’ve seen him, or smelled the blood, because she was quick to skip over to him with a smile on her face.

“Do you mind?” she asked, holding out her hand.

“Don’t you have your own?”

“Yes, but yours is already open, Neeks. Don't be so possessive.”

Nico glared at her jokingly and passed it over. She took a sip before making a face of disgust.

“I really don’t know how you do it,” she commented and wiped her lips with the back of her hand. Then Hazel looked around and frowned. “I need something to wash that down with. Have either of you seen Jason with my drink? He should’ve been back by now.”

Nico pressed himself up onto his toes to get a better look at the crowd. He still couldn’t see much, so he looked up at Will, to see if he could spot Jason. Will scanned the crowd, but turned back to him with a shrug.

“I can’t see him. But he might still be at the bar. It’s kind of dark in here.”

Nico tried not to immediately panic. Will was probably right. It was dark and crowded, and Jason was probably just hidden behind a drunk group of people at the bar.  _ But still _ … The doubt lingered in his mind, and he knew he wouldn’t feel any better until he could see Jason with his own two eyes. So rather than wait for Jason to come back, Nico grabbed Will by the hand, and guided him toward the bar.

They wove their way through the crowd, a little too quickly and a little too aggressively, which earned them some nasty glares. But Nico couldn’t bring himself to care. He continued to push through people until he reached the bar and finally let go of Will’s hand. He searched the area. Once. Twice. Then he turned to Will.

“Do you see Jason at all?” he asked.

“No,” Will answered. And he didn’t seem bothered by it. He didn’t seem to understand Nico’s worry. He must’ve had too much to drink. “But he could also be in the bathroom.”

So Nico grabbed ahold of Will once more and dragged him in that direction. They cut in front of the line and walked in, to which others shouted at them, but Nico just ignored them. Once inside the bathroom, he didn’t see Jason anywhere. He called out Jason’s name but got nothing in response. Nico allowed himself to panic.

He pushed through the bathroom door back out into the club with Will following closely behind. Nico went straight to the front door. He stepped outside and walked onto the sidewalk. He looked around at a few people who were gathered around for a smoke, but none of them were Jason. Nico pulled out his phone.

Will looked to Nico with matching fear. He must’ve finally realized what was happening because he looked as though he’d been immediately sobered.

Nico called Jason and the phone continued to ring before it went to voicemail.

“Fuck,” Nico hissed and tried again.

His ears were still ringing from the music inside, so he walked a bit down the sidewalk so that he could hear better. As he pressed his phone tightly to one ear, he could hear the ringtone of another phone in his other. Nico whipped around, confused. When his call went to voicemail, he noticed the other ringtone stopped, too.  _ That must be Jason’s phone, _ he thought.  _ He’s nearby.  _ So Nico called Jason again, and when he heard the other ringtone, he noticed it came from the alleyway to the side of the club. Nico hung up and started running.

He could smell the blood before he could see it. The cold air was rich with its warm, sweet smell, and it was  _ strong _ . There had to be a lot.

“Will, turn around!” Nico shouted as he heard Will following him down the alley.

But Will didn’t listen, and Nico didn’t have time to argue with him on this, so he continued forward. His eyes were quick to adjust to the darkness, the moonlight illuminating his path as he ran. And when he finally saw Jason, he thought he was going to throw up.

Jason lay there on the ground in a pool of his own blood. For a moment, Nico thought the worst. Jason was dead. But he didn’t want to believe it. He couldn’t bring himself to believe it. Nico’s knees trembled as he walked over to the other, dropping to his knees. The smell of blood everywhere made his fangs throb and his head cloud. But he shut out his instincts. He couldn’t break and fall apart here.

Nico reached out and pressed his fingers to Jason’s wrist. After a moment, he felt a pulse. He relaxed. Jason was still alive. But as he looked around, all he could see was red. Whatever life Jason was clinging onto wouldn’t be a long one. Even if they called an ambulance now, Jason would be dead before it arrived. Tears raced down Nico’s cheeks. He reached out and took Jason’s hand in his, unsure of what else to do. There was nothing else that could be done.

But the movement must have brought forth any lingering consciousness that Jason still had. His eyes rolled open, foggy and unfocused. He turned his head ever so slightly to see Nico sitting above him.

“Nico…” Jason breathed. But his voice was soft and weak.

“Jason, I’m so sorry,” Nico choked on his words. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“Will said… you have healing powers?” he asked.

“Not like this Jason,” Nico swallowed. “You lost too much blood.”

Jason squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, and tears poured from the corners of them. Then he opened them again and looked to Nico. 

“Then you have to do it,” Jason murmured.

“Do what?”

“You have to turn me.” Jason’s eyes continued to water as well. Then he added, “Please, Nico. I don’t want to die. I’m not ready to die.”

Nico’s heart stopped. Turn Jason? He shook his head.

“I can’t do that to you, Jay,” he told him. He tried to sound comforting, but his voice was breaking. “You don’t want to live like this.”

“ _ Please _ , Nico. I can’t die. Don’t let me die.”

And the tears came harder because that’s what was happening. Jason was dying. And there was only one thing Nico could do to stop it, and it was the one thing he vouched never to do. Jason didn’t have much time left. Maybe a few minutes at best. Nico knew that didn’t give him any time to think. He couldn’t try to weigh the options or try to convince Jason otherwise. Not while Jason was dying and begging to be saved. Not when Nico could save him.

“Will, go get Hazel,” Nico said.

And Will didn’t say anything in response, but he heard Will begin to run back down the alley toward the entrance of the club. As much as Nico didn’t want to do this, as much as he wished it could be Hazel to be the one to turn Jason, he knew there was no more time to be wasted. He would just have to do it now and bear the guilt later. So Nico bit down into his palm with his fangs and bit deep.

He scooped Jason’s head up with his good hand while offering him his other. The wound on Jason’s neck continued to bleed, slower now, all over Nico’s jacket and jeans. But he didn’t care.

“You have to drink,” Nico told him.

He pressed his hand to Jason’s mouth, feeling the blood flow from his palm. It took Jason a second to realize what was happening, but he began to drink, just as he’d been told to. He started to cough, and Nico pulled his hand back while he caught his breath. And when Jason looked okay to drink again, Nico bit back down into his hand to keep the wound from healing shut and offered it back out to Jason.

It was a weird feeling, having his blood being sucked, pulled out of him. He hadn’t let anyone feed on him since his vampire boyfriend in Italy. And that was so many years ago. Nico shook the memory from his head and refocused his thoughts on Jason. He noticed the wound was already starting to heal again, so he took his hand back, reopened it for a third time, and placed it back on Jason’s mouth. He wasn’t sure how much Jason needed to drink in order to turn, but he assumed there was no such thing as too much.

He let Jason drink and drink, keeping the wound open with his own teeth as many times as he needed to, until Jason went still. The weight of his head went heavy in his hand, and his blue eyes were frozen open. Unmoving. Nico’s heart stopped.

“Jason?” Nico asked, nudging him gently. “Jason, wake up.”

But Jason didn’t move. Blood dripped from the corner of his slightly parted lips. Nico tried to give him a gentle shake again, but nothing happened. He was too late. Jason was dead.

And then Nico started really crying. Jason was dead, and it was his fault. He couldn’t save him. Nico could hear two sets of footsteps running toward him, and the next thing he knew, Jason was being pulled from his lap. He looked up through watery eyes to see Hazel gently sliding Jason onto the ground. She laid him down and carefully closed his mouth and shut his eyelids. Nico started crying harder, and she wrapped her arms around him, squeezing tight.

She didn’t say anything because there was nothing to say. His best friend just bled out in his arms. His best friend was dead, and it was all his fault. It was his fault Bryce was here. It was his fault he’d been captured and Hades had to send him. It was his fault he didn’t tell Jason the truth about him sooner and that Jason didn’t trust him when those bounty hunters turned up dead. None of this would have happened if it weren’t for him, and in the very end, he  _ still _ couldn’t save Jason. There was  _ one _ thing he could do to save him, and he’d fucking hesitated. Maybe if he didn’t hesitate, he could have turned Jason in time. None of this would be happening. But it was. Jason was dead, and there was nothing he could do about it.

And then Nico heard it. A gentle stirring and a groan. Hazel pulled away from Nico, and the two of them looked over at Jason. His eyes flickered open, and he pressed his hand to his head. Nico stopped breathing. Jason was waking up. He was okay. Jason pushed himself up onto his elbows at first before managing to sit up altogether. Nico had half a mind to tackle him right back to the ground in a bear hug but knew that was probably the last thing Jason wanted.

Jason looked over to them, his face twisted in confusion and pain.

“Gods,” Jason said, his fangs showing behind his lips. “I’m fucking  _ hungry. _ ”

Nico and Hazel both went from their flasks. With trembling hands, Nico managed to pull his out first. He opened it up and passed it over to Jason. Jason took the flask and started chugging greedily. When he finished, he was quick to take the second flask from Hazel and drink that one empty, too. And when he finally finished, he licked the excess blood from his lips and stared at Nico and Hazel even more confused.

“Fuck, is this really what you guys have to deal with  _ all the time _ ?” he asked.

Hazel just laughed and clamped her hand on his shoulder.

“It gets easier,” she told him. “I promise.”

And then Jason’s eyes flickered upward, past Nico and Hazel. Nico turned around to see what he was looking at before realizing Will was still standing there, wordlessly. Nico had almost forgotten he was there.

“Hey, Will,” Jason started. “Not to be a dick or anything, but you should get out of here. Like. Right now. Because I’m really fucking hungry, and you’re looking like a snack.”

Nico positioned himself defensively between Jason and Will. But Will didn’t need to hear anything else because he was running at a full on sprint in the other direction. Once the sound of his footsteps faded into nothingness, and he was gone, the three of them started to relax.

“Jason,” Nico started. “I love you, but if you ever threaten Will again, I will find a way to kill you.”

“Deal,” Jason said. “Getting murdered the first time was not fun. Zero out of ten, would not recommend.”

The three of them climbed to their feet, and Jason looked down at the bloody mess in the alleyway.

“If that weren’t my own blood, I might honestly try to kick it up,” he commented.

Nico laughed. After everything, he couldn’t believe Jason still managed to have a sense of humor. He stepped toward his friend and wrapped his arms around him. He was so happy Jason wasn’t dead. Or, at least, not permanently dead. And then Nico was so overcome with joy and relief that he started crying again. Jason hugged him back tightly and without judgment.

“Thank you,” he whispered, “for saving me.”

And Nico pulled away. He wiped the tears from his eyes and smiled.

“It was Bryce that did this to you, wasn’t it?” Nico asked.

“Definitely. He took his sweet time to introduce himself and make sure I knew why he was killing me. He called me your  _ parting gift _ .”

Nico growled. “I don’t know about you two, but I’m really in the fucking mood to track him down and beat the ever-loving-fuck out of him.”

“Oh, I’m so fucking game,” Jason said, cracking his knuckles.

They both turned to Hazel, and she grinned. “Just when I thought this night couldn’t get any more fun.”

  
  
  


-Will-

Will stormed back into the club and searched around for Cecil and Lou Ellen frantically. He was in a full on panic. Bryce was still here. And if he attacked Jason  _ at the club _ , then that meant none of them were safe here. That, and if he was able to track Jason down, that meant he probably knew where Will lived, too. Will was able to find his friends still on the dance floor, moving and drinking without a care in the world. They had no idea what was happening. And Will felt guilty tearing them from their bliss, but their safety came first, and they needed to get out of here.

Lou Ellen was the first to notice Will, and when she saw his expression, her face turned to worry.

“What’s wrong Will?” she asked and looked around. “Where is Nico? And the others?”

Will grabbed hold of Cecil, pulling him into the conversation, too.

“We need to get out of here,” Will told them. “Now.”

The two of them nodded and followed him back out of the club. They left their drinks on the bar and were out the door. Now outside, Will looked around. There was no sight of Nico or the others around, but that didn’t mean Bryce wasn’t still nearby either. Will just wished he knew what he looked like because now every man he saw looked like a  _ threat _ .

“Lou,” Will turned to her. “Did you drive?”

“No.” She shook her head. “We took a cab since we planned on drinking.”

“Shit. Okay.” Will stepped onto the sidewalk and hailed down the nearest taxi.

“What’s going on, Will?” Lou Ellen asked.

“I’ll tell you when we get to Cecil’s.”

“Oh?” Cecil asked. “We’re going to my apartment.”

“I don’t know if mine is safe.”

The taxi pulled over to the curb, and the three of them got in. They started in the direction of Cecil’s apartment when Will got a call on his phone.

“Hey, Nico. We’re in a cab right now,” he explained, so that Nico understood he wasn’t in any position to be talking about vampire things right now.

“That’s fine,” Nico answered. “Can you put Cecil on the phone?”

“Sure,” Will answered. He passed his phone back to Cecil. “It’s Nico. He wants to talk to you.”

Cecil took the phone and held it up to his ear. “What’s up?”

Will couldn’t hear Nico’s end of the conversation. Cecil just hummed, said ‘sure thing,’ and promised they’d call him when they got back. When Cecil hung up, he handed the phone back to Will.

“What did he want?” Will asked.

“I’ll tell you when we get to my apartment,” Cecil answered, shoving Will’s words back in his face.

It didn’t take the driver much longer to pull up to Cecil’s. Will covered the fare, and the three of them practically ran up to Cecil’s apartment. Once they were inside, they kicked off their shoes and jackets, and moved to Cecil’s living room where they could talk.

“Okay, you first,” Lou Ellen pointed to Will. “Start talking.”

“The other vampire, Bryce, almost killed Jason,” Will said. “Actually, he  _ did  _ kill Jason. Nico and I found him in the alleyway outside of the club.”

Their expressions changed to ones of horror, and Will continued explaining before any of them panicked.

“He’s fine now. Well, sort of. Nico had to turn him in order to save his life.”

“What?!” they both exclaimed.

“It was the only way. He was bleeding out. I saw it for myself.” Will ran a hard hand through his curls. “That’s why we needed to get out of there. I don’t know if Bryce was still there or not.”

“Oh!” Cecil said. “That’s where I come in.”

Will and Lou Ellen both turned to him, expectantly.

“Nico asked if I could track down this Bryce guy. Hazel’s texting her boyfriend right now to get his number.” Cecil started toward his room to retrieve his laptop.

“Wait, everyone hold up!” Lou Ellen stopped them. “Don’t you both think we’re in this way too deep already? We’re human, after all, and they’re vampires. Maybe we should stay out of this.”

“No way!” Cecil answered. “You heard Will. Bryce  _ murdered _ Jason. And if I can help track him down, I’m going to.”

“Cecil’s got a fair point, Lou,” Will added. “Plus, if we know where Bryce is, we don’t have to worry about where he might show up next.”

Lou Ellen clenched and unclenched her fists.

“You guys are right,” she relented with a sigh. “I’m just so tired of this. And scared.”

“Me, too,” Will said and pulled her in for a hug. “But this is going to end. Tonight.”

She wrapped her arms around him, too. “I sure hope you’re right.”

Will held onto Lou Ellen a little bit longer before letting go. He felt guilty having dragged them both into this. Cecil returned to the living room with his laptop and asked Will for his phone. He called Nico as his laptop loaded up.

“Hey, Nico. It’’s Cecil,” he said. “I’m loading up the program now. What’s the number?”

Will listened in on the silence as Cecil began typing. Will sat down on the couch beside Cecil and watched as his friend input information, clicked around, and typed. Once again, he had absolutely no idea what Cecil was doing, or how, but it seemed to be working. Then a page popped up in a language that Will didn’t recognize.

“Oh man,” Cecil said into the phone. “This page is in a foreign language.”

Nico said something on the other line that Will couldn’t hear. Cecil answered by reading out some of the words on the page, the language sounding awkward and broken in his mouth. Nico said something else, to which Will couldn’t hear.

“I thought Greek was a dead language,” Cecil answered.

Another pause.

“No, it’s fine. I can run a translation program now that I know what language it’s in.”

Cecil opened up another program, and soon enough, all the text on the page was converted into English. Cecil continued his task of clicking and scrolling and typing. Will exchanged looks with Lou Ellen. Eventually, Cecil must’ve found what he was looking for because he stopped and stared at his screen.

“I found him!” Cecil stated.

He paused, waiting for Nico to say something.

“No, it looks like he’s stationary,” Cecil said. “I’ll text you the address from Will’s phone. Good luck guys.”

Cecil hung up, texted the address, and gave Will’s phone back to him. He started explaining before he was even asked to.

“It looks like he’s on the other side of the city. Nico, Hazel, and Jason are headed there now. I’m going to keep this open, so I can keep an eye on it and make sure the bastard doesn’t start running again.” Cecil set his laptop down on the coffee table, leaving the program running. “Also, I don’t mind either of you crashing here tonight, but Will, I gotta ask, why do you think this Bryce guy knows where you live?”

Will knew this was coming, so he’d already thought out what to say. He started from the beginning.

“Let me fill you guys in,” Will answered.

He explained how Jason was the one who turned Nico in, and how Will had Jason stay with him for the last few days. He explained that if Bryce were able to track Jason down at the club, then he probably knew where Jason had been staying, which would have led the vampire to his apartment.

“Damn,” Cecil commented. “You gotta move, dude.”

“Probably.”

Lou Ellen was the next to speak. “Well I, for one, hope they kick his ass. First he almost kills  _ you _ , and next he goes and kills Jason? He deserves what’s coming for him.”

Will paused for a moment, and he looked back and forth between his friends awkwardly.

“Actually,” he confessed. “It wasn’t Bryce that almost killed me… That was Nico.”

“Wait, what?!” Lou Ellen said.

“He wasn’t himself. When I went to rescue him, Bryce had been forcing him to feed repeatedly on that reporter,” Will tried to explain. “By the time I got there, he didn’t have any control left. He didn’t mean to attack me. It was an accident. And he’s the one who healed me and called the ambulance.”

Lou Ellen’s eyes narrowed. “You’re telling me that I was just at a club, drinking and dancing with this guy like it was nothing, while  _ you _ failed to mention he was the reason you almost  _ died _ ?”

Will frowned and offered an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. I should have told you guys sooner, but I didn’t want you to hate him.”

“What the actual fuck, Will?” Lou Ellen shouted. It was rare to hear her swear. “Why would you keep something like that from us? Why would you  _ lie _ to us?”

“I’m with Lou on this,” Cecil added. “That’s really messed up, dude.”

Will buried his head in his hands. “I know, guys. I’m sorry.”

“You had us  _ convinced  _ that he wasn’t dangerous,” Lou Ellen continued to scold him, “but  _ he _ was the one who almost killed you. And you let us believe it was someone else! Do you even realize that you put  _ us _ in danger tonight? You invited us out to a bar with a vampire who has way less blood control than you’re pretending he does. What if something happened, Will? What if he hurt Cecil or me? Then what?”

“I know. I really,  _ really _ messed up. I’m so sorry—”

“And he  _ turned _ Jason,” Lou Ellen continued, cutting him off. “Now there’s  _ another _ vampire out there. And what if Jason has absolutely no control either? Even if Bryce is gone, Jason could be just as dangerous.”

“That’s not fair, Lou,” Will stopped her. “Nico didn’t have any choice but to turn him. He would’ve died—”

But Lou Ellen wasn’t listening. “Yeah, and is that the excuse he’s going to give when he turns  _ you _ ? What if he tries to turn you, Will? What if in his deranged, psycho, blood-lust brain, he decides that he loves you and wants to spend eternity with you, and then goes ahead and turns you into a fucking vampire? What then?”

“That won’t happen,” Will said. “He’s not going to try to turn me.”

“Yeah, and you also said he was never going to hurt you, and yet you ended up in a hospital half-dead.” Lou Ellen stood up and started marching out of the room. “Cecil, I’m going to your room. I need some space before I absolutely lose it.”

In a matter of seconds, Cecil’s bedroom door slammed closed and Lou Ellen was gone. Will turned to Cecil, unsure of what to say, of where to begin. Cecil looked back at him with just as much uncertainty.

“I hate to say this, Will,” Cecil said, finally. “But Lou’s right. You really did put us and yourself in danger. You gotta be smarter than that, dude.”

Will inhaled and exhaled sharply. “I know, Cee.”

“I’m going to go talk to her and see if I can calm her down a bit. It’s probably best if you stay out here for a while.”

“Okay,” Will agreed.

Cecil stood up and headed over to his room. He knocked twice before letting himself inside and closing the door behind him. Will was left alone in Cecil’s living room. He couldn’t be mad at them. He knew they were right. He’d really messed this one up. He’d been so fixed on getting them to like Nico, that he didn’t respect the fact that they should have known the whole truth. It wasn’t fair for him to keep them in the dark, again, and expecting things to run smoothly.

But the last thing Lou Ellen had said really stuck with him. What if Nico  _ did _ try to turn him? Whether it be because he almost killed him and needed to save him or because he wanted them to be together? Will shook his head. That wouldn’t happen. It couldn’t. He knew Nico well enough to know that Nico would never do that to him. He himself said that he would never turn someone.

And then Will remembered.

He  _ had _ turned someone. He turned Jason into a vampire. Nico had the cure. He had fulfilled his end of the condition. So that meant… that meant Nico could take the cure now. He could be  _ human _ . Will sat back on the couch and stared at the ceiling.  _ Holy shit _ , he thought.  _ Nico could be human. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 The fun night was short lived, and we are back to the drama, baby! What are you all thinking? I hope it's something along the lines of "what the FUCK." Sorry to leave ya'll hanging like this, but I hardly got any writing done yesterday. Anyways, kudos and comments are always appreciated :)


	34. Vengeance

-Nico-

Nico ground his teeth and drove fast. He was driving Jason’s car after telling the other he was in absolutely no condition to be driving. Turning could be a painful and hazy process, and the last thing any of them needed was to be in a car accident. Not when they had Bryce to track down.  _ Fuck _ . Why did Bryce have to go after Jason? Why couldn’t he just listen to Hades and get the fuck out of here without having to kill one last person?

“Parting gift, my ass,” Nico muttered under his breath.

Hazel was riding shotgun and had her phone out. She’d pulled up the address that Cecil had given them and was giving Nico directions of where to go. Nico wasn’t familiar with the new area, but he wasn’t surprised that Bryce hadn’t gone to the abandoned bar that he’d kept Nico captive in. After Nico had called the ambulance, he was sure the police were quick to follow and check the place over with a fine-tooth comb. It made sense that Bryce found somewhere else to hide.

Coward.

“Nico, you should probably slow down a bit, or you’re gonna get us pulled over,” Hazel commented.

“Yeah and to be honest, I don’t know if my piece of crap car can handle this speed,” Jason added.

Reluctantly, Nico listened. He dropped his speed ever so slightly and continued on. It took them another ten minutes before they arrived at their destination. Nico slammed the car into park and looked outside. From what he could see, it seemed they were at an abandoned house.

“So, what’s the plan?” Jason asked, eagerly.

“I don’t have a plan,” Nico snarled. “But it’s three against one, and I’m ready to kick the snot out of him.”

“I like that idea very much.”

Nico stepped out of the car, and Hazel and Jason were quick to follow. They started toward the building, and when Nico looked over at Jason, he noticed his friend’s fangs were very much still out. He was either hungry, scared, or pissed. Likely all three. And Nico was going to make Bryce regret it.

They walked up the steps toward the front door, and Nico turned the lock to find it was locked. He considered asking Hazel for her hair pins so that he could pick it, but he was also a little too impatient and a little too angry to wait. So instead, Nico had the others stand back a bit, and he threw his weight through his shoulder into the door, and it broke open with ease. Sometimes being a vampire had its silver linings. And tonight the extra strength seemed to be one of them.

Nico stepped through with the others behind him. He heard running coming down the stairs, and suddenly Bryce was there, standing in front of them. His face changed from one of confusion to pleasant surprise. He stopped on the bottom step, looked them over, and grinned.

“Well this is a  _ turn _ of events,” Bryce remarked, his eyes falling on Jason. “I was sure you’d be dead by the time they found you.”

“Surprise,” Jason answered with a scowl. “I’m back and better than ever, baby.”

“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you all,” Bryce continued. “But you did rudely show up unannounced, and I was actually on my way out the door.”

“You’re not going anywhere yet.” Nico glared.

Nico didn’t wait a moment longer. He charged forward at Bryce. Bryce was quick to side-step him and shove him aside.

“Your reflexes are slow,” he commented. “Have you not been keeping up on your feedings?”

“Fuck you,” Nico spat, standing back up and spinning toward him.

Nico lunged at Bryce again. He managed to grab his arm and whip him around, throwing him into the wall behind him. Bryce crashed into the wall and started to gather himself when Jason stepped forward and threw a right hook. He connected with Bryce’s jaw, and Bryce nearly doubled over. When he looked up gain, anger burned like fire in his eyes.

Bryce leapt forward and tackled Jason to the ground. He pinned Jason beneath him and landed a hard punch to Jason’s face. Hazel reached forward and pulled Bryce off. Bryce swung his arm backward as he stood up, knocking Hazel to the ground. She hit the ground with a crash. Nico ran toward her and helped her up before turning his attention back to Bryce. He threw another punch, hitting Bryce in the gut, and when Bryce took a few steps backward into the dining room and leaned forward, gripping his stomach, Nico shoved him back into the table. Hard.

The table broke beneath Bryce’s weight and the speed and strength of Nico’s hit. Nico followed him into the dining room, and both Jason and Hazel were hot on his heels. Bryce scrambled upward, pushing himself up onto his feet and taking a few steps back.

“I’m older and stronger than any of you,” Bryce snarled. “Give it up.”

“And we outnumber you,” Hazel retorted.

Nico and Jason moved toward him at the same time. Bryce swung at Jason while Nico grabbed his arm mid-punch. Jason ducked just in case and was quick to catch himself before landing another punch on Bryce’s face. Nico heard a hard crunch and saw as Bryce’s nose broke and started bleeding. Nico didn’t waste any time in throwing a punch of his own, sending a left hook to his jaw. Bryce stumbled backwards, putting space between him and the others. He breathed heavily, and the bleeding from his nose stopped as it healed itself.

From behind Nico, Hazel picked up a broken piece of wood from the table and went charging at Bryce. She swung it like a bat as hard as she could, striking him straight in the gut and knocking him over. The wood cracked from the hit, and one of the pieces went flying. Nico ducked out of the way to keep from getting hit.

Bryce, still on the ground, took the moment of Nico’s distraction to grab a hold of Nico’s legs and yank him down. Nico hit the floor, and his head bounced off the wall behind him. For a moment, he saw stars, but his vision quickly fixed itself, and next thing he knew, Bryce was on top of him with his fist raised in the air. Nico kneed him in the gut and tried to wriggle free, but Bryce threw the punch. Nico squeezed his eyes shut, but felt nothing.

He opened his eyes again to see Hazel standing over Bryce, with his fist in her hands. She twisted his arm behind his back and pulled until Nico heard bone cracking. Bryce hissed under his breath and rolled off Nico. He’d barely managed to get any space before Jason caught him with a swift kick to the ribs.

“ENOUGH!” Bryce screamed, standing up.

He panted with his back against the wall like a wild animal. His shoulder looked dislocated, and as he breathed, it slowly shifted back into place. Bryce turned his attention to Nico.

“After everything I’ve done to help you, this is how you repay me?” he growled.

“You tried to  _ destroy _ everything I am. You fucking  _ killed _ Jason.”

“And he deserved it! How dare he turn you in. If I hadn’t been there that morning to save you, you would’ve walked straight into the hands of those police officers.”

“You kidnapped me and held me captive!” Nico screamed back at him. “I almost lost everything because of you!”

“I was making you  _ better. Stronger. _ ”

“You’re a fucking psychopath.”

And then Nico was filled with absolute rage. The anger he’d felt before didn’t hold a light up to what he was feeling now. How  _ dare _ Bryce feel justified in any regard for what he did? Nico had almost killed Will because of him. He was forced to turn Jason because of him. There was no defending that. And if Bryce couldn’t get that through his head, Nico would beat it into him.

Nico reached down and picked up a broken shard of wood off the ground and charged at Bryce. As far as he knew, vampires were immortal, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t fucking try to kill him if he could. Nico tackled Bryce to the ground once more, and the two of them struggled for dominance. But Bryce was already beaten and weak, and Nico was fueled with a fire that couldn’t be put out.

Nico pinned Bryce beneath him. He pointed the shard of wood directly above his heart, pressing it dangerously against his skin. Bryce’s eyes grew wide. Good. Maybe this could kill him after all.

“That’s enough,” a voice ordered from behind.

And Nico knew that voice. He froze..

Nico spun around to none other than Hades walking into the room. He dropped the shard of wood from his grip and quickly crawled off Bryce. Everyone stood up and looked to face the father of all vampires. He was tall and neatly composed, wearing a black and expensive suit. His expression was unreadable, which made him all the more terrifying.

“This is quite the mess the four of you have made,” Hades commented, looking around the room. He stepped over the debris of broken wood and made his way toward them. “Would one of you care to explain what’s going on?”

“Yeah,” Jason started, gesturing over to Bryce. “That fucking lunatic just murdered me.”

Nico’s heart stopped. Jason had no idea who Hades was. He had no idea who he was talking to. But Hades simply raised a brow, unaffected by Jason’s vulgarity or accusation.

“You must have recently turned, I presume?” Hades asked. “I will spare you further embarrassment and introduce myself. My name is Hades, and I am the father of all vampires. Do not speak like that to me again, or I will not hesitate to remove your tongue.”

Jason registered what was going on, and the color drained from his face.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

Hades switched his gaze to look over the rest of them before finally settling on Bryce. “Mr. di Angelo inadvertently expressed some concerns over the way matters were handled here. When you did not respond to my call, I thought I should come pay a visit myself. You can imagine my surprise that this is what I have walked into. Why are you engaged in a fight with the vampire I sent you to protect, and why have you turned another?”

Bryce quickly bowed his head. “My apologies, Hades, but I didn’t turn him. Nico did.”

“Oh?” Hades turned to Nico, raising a brow. “Is that true? Excuse me if I find that difficult to believe following our previous conversation on the matter.”

Nico turned red. “It’s true.”

Hades looked once more to Jason. “May I ask your name?”

“Jason,” the other answered. “Jason Grace.”

“Well then, Mr. Grace, I must ask. Were you given the choice to become a vampire? Was this what you wanted?”

Nico’s breath caught in his throat. Until now, until seeing Hades again and him asking of the circumstances of Jason’s turning, Nico had completely forgotten all about the cure. He’d been too wrapped up in saving Jason and getting revenge, that he hadn’t stopped for a moment to consider the cure or what it meant for him. Nico looked to Jason. He was unsure of how Jason would respond. He’d only asked to become a vampire because he was dying. He wouldn’t have made the choice otherwise. Was that truly the consent to turn that Hades was looking for?

“I begged Nico to turn me, sir,” Jason answered with resolution. “I would be dead right now if it weren’t for him.”

Then Hades smiled. Actually smiled. And Nico felt relieved to know he wasn’t mad.

“It seems I have impeccable timing then,” Hades mused. “Mr. Lawrence, I have come to bring you back home. We can discuss the consequences of your actions once there. And Mr. Grace, you ought to come with me as well. It will be best for you to be among others of your kind while you adjust to your transition.”

Jason looked like he was ready to bolt out of there when Hazel spoke up.

“Hades?” she asked. “May I come with you as well? Jason is a friend of mine, and I want to be there to help him.”

“Of course, Ms. Levesque.” Then he cleared his throat and addressed them all. “I am admittedly feeling rather impatient at the moment, so I ask that you don’t waste further time in packing your things. We shall be on our way now. I have a private jet waiting.”

Everyone nodded. Hades seemed rather satisfied with their response and started back out of the room toward the door. They each followed him wordlessly. Jason shot Nico a look of confusion and fear, but Nico gave him a reassuring smile. Hazel grabbed a hold of Jason’s arm and gave him a gentle squeeze to let him know it would be okay.

When they were all outside, Nico could see a shiny, black limousine running in the street. They started toward it when Hades stopped. He caught Nico’s attention.

“I do not require you to travel with us,” Hades said. “I’m certain you have other matters to attend to regarding the cure.”

Nico nodded. “Thank you.”

Hades turned back around and started back toward the limo. The driver, who turned out to be Jules-Albert, unsurprisingly, got out and opened the door to allow Hades to enter. Bryce followed quickly behind. Nico walked beside Hazel and Jason over to the limo. He gave them each a long, hug goodbye. He couldn’t wrap his head around any of this. Hades was actually  _ here _ , and he was taking them back.

Jason leaned into Nico and lowered his voice. “Where is he taking us?”

“Greece.”

“What the fuck? I’m going to Europe?” Then he groaned. “You mean I’m gonna be stuck on a plane with asshole Bryce for gods only know how long?”

“You’ll be okay, Jay. You’ll have Hazel.” Nico promised, pulling away. “And you have my number if you ever need anything.”

Jason smiled. “I know. It’s just… shit. That Hades dude is kind of intimidating, right?”

Nico chuckled. “Please don’t ever call him ‘dude’ to his face.”

Hazel dug through her purse and pulled something out of her wallet before handing it over to Nico.

“The key card to my hotel room,” she explained. “I want you to mail me all my clothes back. For real, Neeks. They’re expensive.”

“Wow Hazel, what a heartfelt goodbye.” Nico rolled his eyes.

“It’s not like it’s goodbye forever, you big loser.” She just winked at him. “I’m sure I’ll see you again soon enough.”

Nico nodded.

“Well, let’s get going, Jason.” She spun around toward the limo.

“Take good care of my car while I’m gone!” Jason waved.

The two of them turned around and climbed into the limo, and they drove off. Nico stood there for a few moments after they pulled off, processing everything that was going on. Just this morning he was getting off the plane. So much had happened since then. Will told him he loved him. Will’s father practically chased him out of the apartment. He’d met Cecil and Lou Ellen. They’d gone to a club, of all places.  _ Gods, why had they done that?  _ Bryce killing Jason. Him turning Jason. Nearly killing Bryce himself. Hades showing up. Jason and Hazel leaving… And the  _ cure. _

Nico lifted the chain around his neck and pulled the vial out from under his shirt. He held it in his hand a long while, turning it over and over as he stared at it. Hades blood. The cure.

-Will-

Will was laying on his back on the floor of Cecil’s living room beneath a blanket, completely unable to sleep. Cecil had taken his laptop to his room a little while ago and said he was going to sleep. Lou Ellen was asleep on the couch beside him, breathing deeply. After Cecil had managed to cool Lou Ellen down earlier, the two of them returned to the living room to talk things out. Will knew there was no more keeping secrets from them. So he’d told them the final piece of information he had that he could think of. He told them about the cure.

Both Cecil and Lou Ellen had been shocked. They were still angry with Will and with Nico. Will for lying to them, and Nico for nearly killing Will. But to learn that there was a cure gave them a lot to think about, to which Will told them it changed nothing for him. He loved Nico, vampire or human. And when he’d told them  _ that _ , they both went quiet. Will did hope that Nico would decide to take the cure, and if Nico had turned Jason, then there was nothing stopping him, right? 

And now that everyone had gone to sleep, Will’s head was left spinning. He couldn’t believe what had happened. Bryce had found a way to attack Jason, and Nico had to  _ turn _ Jason just to save him. Will didn’t know what part of everything horrified him the most. Seeing Jason bleeding out, begging for his life. Seeing Jason  _ dead _ . Or seeing Jason turn into a vampire right before his eyes and immediately threaten him. He just hoped wherever Nico, Hazel, and Jason were now, that they were taking care of things with Bryce. That they were safe.

It was late into the night when Will finally got a text. He reached for his phone, read it, and answered immediately.

Nico:  _ sorry to text you so late. i didn’t want to call in case you were sleeping. but bryce is leaving now. you’re safe _

Will:  _ i’m up. i can’t sleep. can i call you? _

Nico:  _ sure. _

Will got up and walked over to Cecil’s kitchen, where he could speak in private without waking Lou Ellen. He dialed for Nico.

“Will,” Nico answered the phone.

“Nico,” Will said. “What happened?”

“A lot,” Nico answered. “We found him. Bryce. And we beat the fuck out of him.”

Nico paused before continuing. Wil leaned up against the kitchen countertops.

“I think… I think I almost killed him,” Nico said. “I had a piece of broken wood to his heart. I didn’t know if it would work, but when I saw the fear in his eyes, I knew it would.”

“Did you?” Will asked.

“No. Hades showed up before I had the chance. He fucking just—just—showed up?!” Nico exclaimed. “And then he saw Jason… and… they all just left.”

“What?”

“They’re all going back to Greece.”

“What about you?”

There was a breath of silence before Nico answered. “I’m not going. I just got back to Hazel’s hotel room now to sleep.”

“Wait,” Will stopped him. “I’ll meet you there.”

“It’s late, Will. You don’t have to come.”

“I want to be there with you.”

“Do you want me to come get you?” Nico asked. “I have Jason’s car.”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll take a cab.”

“Actually Will,” Nico started. “Would it be okay if we stayed at your apartment tonight instead? I hate hotels, and all… all of the blood bags Hazel got tonight are at your place.”

“That’s fine.”

“Okay, I’ll come get you now then.”

“I’ll see you soon, Nico.”

Will hung up and pushed himself up off the counter. He poured himself a glass of water to drink while he waited. He wasn’t drunk anymore, but he did have the dull roar of an oncoming headache threatening his temples. When Nico arrived, he called Will to let him know he was here. Will quietly crossed the kitchen and the living room, making his way over to the front door. He slid on his boots and shrugged on his jacket and started turning the lock.

“Will?” Lou Ellen asked sleepily, stopping him. “Where are you going?”

“Back to my apartment,” he answered.

Lou Ellen sat up. “What happened? Is it safe?”

“Yes. Bryce is gone. For good.”

She hummed. “Did Nico take the cure?”

“I don’t think so,” Will answered, thinking of how Nico mentioned blood bags. “At least, not yet.”

“Do you want me to drive you? I drove my car here before Cecil and I took the cab downtown, so I can.”

“No, Nico is already here. He’s driving me.”

She huffed and laid back down. “I know I’ve said this a million times already, but be safe Will.”

“I will, Lou. Goodnight.”

Will left Cecil’s apartment, started down the stairs, and out the door. He saw Jason’s car running in the street, so he walked over and climbed in. Nico smiled when he saw him.

“Hey, Will.”

“Hi, Nico.”

“Thank you for letting me stay at your apartment tonight.”

“You know you’re always welcome.”

Nico pulled off the curb and started driving toward Will’s.

“You know, I was wondering if my car is still outside of my place, or if it’s been confiscated or even towed.”

“We can check tomorrow, if you want.”

“Yeah,” Nico answered. “Jason’s car is shit.”

The rest of the drive was relatively quiet. As they drove, Nico played music softly over the radio. When they arrived at Will’s apartment, Nico asked if it was okay for him to bring Hazel’s luggage upstairs. He explained her clothes were rather expensive, and he didn’t want anyone breaking into Jason’s car to steal them.

“Of course,” Will said.

The two of them headed up the stairs, and Will offered to carry the suitcase for Nico, but Nico declined politely. By the time they were back inside Will’s apartment, they looked at each other in mutual exhaustion. Will set Hazel’s suitcase inside of a closet near the front door, and Nico made his way over to the kitchen. He withdrew a blood bag and heated it up in the microwave before pouring it into a glass and drinking it.

Will thought about Lou Ellen’s question, about the cure. But Nico hadn’t brought it up. Will wondered if he should but ultimately decided not to. He didn’t want to give Nico the impression that he only wanted to be with him if he were human. Besides, taking the cure or not was Nico’s decision to make and his alone. Will didn’t want to be the one to influence his decision either way. And Nico had said himself that he  _ did _ want to take it, so why hadn’t he? Why was he drinking blood now?

When Nico finished washing and drying his glass, he walked over to Will and wrapped his arms around him. Will was pleasantly surprised and pulled Nico in deeper to the hug.

“Ready to head to bed?” Will asked.

“Yeah,” Nico answered. “I’m totally shot.”

The two of them made their way over to Will’s bedroom. Will changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. He offered Nico a pair as well, as he couldn’t imagine sleeping in jeans was going to be comfortable. Nico nodded, stripped out of his jeans, and pulled on Will’s sweats. He rolled them twice at the waist so they didn’t drag on the floor. Will couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Nico unbuttoned his shirt, to reveal he was wearing a black tee beneath. Will noticed a small silver link chain around his neck, which dipped under his shirt. He’d never seen Nico wear jewelry before, but he didn’t ask.

Once they were both ready, Will turned off the lights, and they got into bed.

“Will?” Nico asked, his voice quiet.

“Yes.”

“It’s been a long day.”

“I know,” Will said.

“I just… I need to know if… it’s okay if you changed your mind about what you said earlier.”

“What are you talking about?”

“When you said that you loved me.”

“Of course I do, Nico. Nothing would change that.”

“Even though I did what I swore I was never going to do? Even though I turned Jason?”

“You did what you had to do to save him. He’d be dead right now if you hadn’t.”

“I know,” Nico said, rolling onto his back. “I just hope neither of us regret it.”

“Day-by-day, Nico. Remember?”

“Day-by-day,” Nico repeated.

Nico turned his back to him, and Will was quick to slide over and wrap his arm around him. Nico stilled for a moment before snuggling back up against Will. Soon enough, the exhaustion became too much and they both fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 FINALLY. Bryce got his fuckin' ass KICKED. That was a long time coming, buddy. Kudos and comments are always appreciated! :)


	35. Cure

-Nico-

Nico awoke to the warmth of Will’s body against him. He stayed there for a moment, relishing in the feeling of Will’s arm around him, his breath on his ear. Nico could get used to this. A lifetime of this. Just laying in Will’s arms, comforted by his heartbeat and soothed by his breathing. But it would only be a lifetime, Will’s lifetime, not the eternity granted to vampires.

Nico reached for the chain around his neck and gently pulled out the vial. He stared at it for a long while in wonderment. It was small, no bigger than his thumb, encased in silver with a cap on top. The casing was engraved with intricate damask swirling patterns that caught hold of the sunlight that washed the room.

“Are you awake?” Will asked softly.

Nico clutched his fingers around the vial. He tucked it back under his shirt and flipped over to face Will.

“I just woke up a few minutes ago. I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

“No, I’ve been up for a while now.” Will smiled.

“Oh, you should’ve woken me up.”

“I was just happy to be holding you.”

Nico leaned in and pressed his lips to Will’s.

“What were you doing?” Will asked.

“Kissing you?” Nico looked at him confused.

“No, I mean, with your necklace,” Will explained. “I noticed it last night, but I’ve never seen you wear one before.”

“Oh,” Nico said.

He paused for a moment, thinking it over. He knew there was no point in hiding it from Will. Will already knew about the cure, after all. Nico withdrew the vial once more and showed it to Will.

“It contains Hades’ blood,” Nico answered.

Will’s brows furrowed.

“That’s… kind of disgusting,” he admitted.

Any other time, Nico might have laughed at Will’s reaction, but he was too lost in thought in a matter that was all too serious.

“It’s the cure, Will.”

And he watched the way Will’s blue eyes widened in realization.

It was Will’s turn to say, “Oh.”

And Nico waited. He waited for Will to say something else. To see if Will was going to ask him if he was going to take it. To see if Will  _ wanted  _ him to take it. He was sure Will did. It would make their lives simpler—easier—after all. But Will didn’t say anything else, and Nico was unsure of what to make of that. And being unsure made Nico worry.

What if Will  _ didn’t  _ want him to take it? What if Will thought that Nico taking the cure was their first, and very permanent, step of them being together? Of them having a life together? What if Will thought it was too much commitment too soon for Nico to take the cure just to be with him? Will could love him without planning out a future together. They were taking things day-by-day, as he’d said.

Nico didn’t know what to say or what to do. It wasn’t like he needed Will’s approval to take it. He  _ wanted  _ to take it. He wanted to be human. But what if that scared Will off? If Will thought the only reason he was taking the cure was to be with him… But he also didn’t want to offend Will by saying “I would take this regardless of whether or not I was with you.” Which was true, probably, but now it all seemed to linger on Will. Nico didn’t understand why.

Nico sighed. He tucked the vial back under his t-shirt and closed his eyes, trying to think things through, trying to figure out what to say to Will and how.

“Nico,” Will said, finally. “You know I’ll still love you whatever you decide to do.”

Nico opened his eyes again and studied Will. He was relieved. It wasn’t that Will was scared of what it meant for Nico to take the cure, it was that he was leaving the decision up to Nico.

“I want to take it,” Nico answered. “More than anything.”

Will smiled. “Then you should.”

“Now?”

“Why not?”

Nico thought it over. “I don’t know. I know it’s what I want, but I know once I take it… everything’s going to change for me. And that’s kind of scary to think about, too.”

“Okay, well you don’t have to take it now.” Will reached for his hand. “You can wait a day, a week, a month, a year. If you decide never to take it, you don’t have to. But if you do, I’ll be here for you to face any changes with you.”

Nico gripped onto Will’s hand tightly. “Maybe I should take it now. Before something bad happens, Before I’m captured again or I lose it.”

“Whatever you want,” Will assured him.

Nico sat up and ran his hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. I’m all over the place right now.”

“It’s okay to be.”

Nico sighed. “Can I go take a shower? I need to calm down.”

“Sure thing.”

Nico rolled out of bed, grabbed his carry-on off the floor, and headed to the bathroom. He ran the water, stripped down, and stepped inside. He took longer than usual to wash his hair and his body. He knew what he had to do. It was just a matter of doing it. When he was finally washed, he shut the shower off and stepped out. He put on some deodorant, brushed his teeth and his hair, and changed into a pair of jeans.

He looked through his carry-on, which only contained t-shirts and button-ups. But it was too cold for a short sleeved shirt, and he didn’t particularly feel like dressing up, so he walked back into Will’s room without a shirt on.

“Can I borrow a sweatshirt?” he asked. “I’m sorry I feel like I’m completely commandeering your apartment right now.”

“No problem.” Will got out of bed and headed to his closet. “And Jason stayed here for days making himself at home without a care in the world. You’re too polite compared to what I was just dealing with.”

Nico smiled. Will grabbed him a plain navy blue hoodie to wear, which Nico thanked him for, before slipping it on.

“Sorry I don’t have anything black,” Will teased.

“I’ll try to live.” Nico smiled.

“I’m actually going to take a shower, too, if that’s alright. I smell like sweat and alcohol.”

“You don’t need my permission,” Nico answered, stepping out of the way.

Nico went back out into the living room to wait while Will showered. He pulled out his phone to see a text from Hazel about an hour ago.

It was a picture of Jason sleeping, his face pressed to the window of the plane, and drool threatening to spill from his mouth.

Nico looked down to read Hazel’s text beneath.

Hazel:  _ took this while we were flying. just landed. he drank nearly all the blood on the plane and immediately passed out _

Nico:  _ hahah an infant vampire at its finest _

Hazel:  _ oh i know! frank is gonna freak when he finds i brought home a baby _

Nico:  _ are you letting him stay with you? _

Hazel:  _ for a few months. until he gets a hang of things. but he seems to be adjusting really well already. hades even said he was impressed. oh, and jason even managed to get hades to laugh, nico. to LAUGH _

Nico:  _ fuck i wish i’d been there to see that _

Hazel:  _ you’re missing out. we’ll have to come visit you again soon. i can’t believe i didn’t even get to stay a single night _

Nico:  _ next time for sure. by the way, i got your suitcase, so i’ll pack up your clothes and mail them back to you soon _

Hazel:  _ don’t forget my makeup bag, either. i left it in will’s bathroom when i was getting ready _

Nico:  _ consider it done _

Hazel:  _ you’re the best. i gotta go now though, jason’s about to meet frank LOL wish me luck _

Nico:  _ good luck _

It didn’t take much longer after that for Will to finish his shower. He got ready and dressed and joined Nico in the living room on the couch.

“I just talked to Hazel a bit,” Nico told him. “Jason seems to be doing fine.”

“Good. That’s good to hear.”

“I agree. I think he’s gonna be alright.”

“Me, too.”

If Jason could handle being turned into a vampire on a whim, without much of a real choice, then Nico realized he should be able to turn human again. He had a choice, and he very much wanted it. He was the only thing holding himself back now. Nico looked up to Will, decidedly.

“I’m going to take the cure now,” he said.

“Okay,” Will nodded. “I’ll be right here.”

Nico reached and pulled out the vial once more. He removed the chain from his neck and held it in his hand. He inhaled. Then exhaled. He looked to Will once more, who just gave him a smile of assurance, before turning his attention back to the vial. He unscrewed the cap and looked inside to see that Hades’ blood was there. As promised.

With nothing left for him to do, Nico closed his eyes, opened his mouth, and drank.

  
  
  


-Will-

Will’s heart raced as Nico tilted his head back and drank the cure. He knew it was ultimately Nico’s decision to make, and he would support Nico no matter what, but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t hoping that he would. He wanted Nico to take the cure more than anything. And not just because he wanted a life with Nico. Not just for the normalcy and the simplicity of it. But for Nico’s sake, too. He wanted Nico to be able to kiss and to hug and, well, to have sex without risking losing control. He didn’t want Nico to worry about blood bags, or worry about getting captured again—whether it be by humans or other vampires. He wanted Nico to be able to live without fear.

And the cure offered that. It gave him a chance to start over. To have a relationship that was safe. To be able to have friends without keeping secrets from them. To get drunk and enjoy good food. To be human. Will wanted this for Nico more than anything, and he knew Nico did, too. It made Will overjoyed to see that it was possible. Nico could truly start living now.

When Nico finished the blood in the vial, sure to drink every last drop, he licked his lips, and stared at Will. And Will was sure that Nico was thinking everything he had been, because his face lit up with a smile, and he chuckled under his breath and shook his head in disbelief.

And then everything changed.

He dropped the vial, and it hit the ground with a small  _ clink. _ The expression on his face turned from joy to confusion and pain, and he looked like he was about to be sick.

“Nico, are you okay?” Will asked.

“Will?” Nico looked up at him, his dark eyes completely disoriented. “I don’t feel…”

And then Nico collapsed. Will lunged forward, catching Nico in his arms before he hit his head on the coffee table. Will’s thoughts all started to bleed together. He couldn’t lose Nico. Not now. Not after everything that had happened. He gently repositioned Nico so that he was laying on his back on the couch. He checked vitals first. Nico’s heart was still beating and he was still breathing.

“Nico?” Will asked. “Wake up.”

But Nico didn’t stir.  _ Maybe it’s a side effect of the cure _ , he told himself. But Will didn’t know what to do. Vampires and cures and turning human were all beyond his scope of medical understanding. Will waited another minute, but Nico didn’t move.  _ What if something went wrong? What if his body can’t properly absorb the cure? What if it wasn’t a cure at all, and Hades had poisoned him as punishment for abandoning being a vampire? _

Will panicked. He pulled out his phone and dialed his father. His father picked up almost immediately.

“Dad?” Will near-shouted into the phone. 

“Will, what’s wrong?” his father matched his panic. “Are you okay?”

“It’s not me. Something happened to Nico! He passed out!”

“What?” his father’s voice came through the phone utterly confused. “Will, I can’t and won’t treat a vampire. Wait—I thought he could self-heal? I don’t understand—”

“He took a cure, Dad. And now he’s not waking up.” Tears threatened Will’s eyes.

“A cure?” his father repeated. “What are you talking about?”

“He’s supposed to be human now. He took a cure, and for a moment everything was fine, but then he just… he just collapsed.”

“Human?” his father asked.

Will was frustrated. He didn’t have time to explain. 

“He needs to go to the hospital,” Will said. “Please, Dad, you have to help him. I don’t know what else to do. I don’t know who else I can ask.”

“Have you checked his vitals?”

“They seem normal. I don’t know what’s wrong with him.” Will turned to look at Nico. He was still unconscious. “Can I bring him in? Can we get him a private room?”

A pause. And it felt like the longest pause of Will’s life.

“Okay, Will. Do you need me to come get you?”

“No. That’ll take too long. I have Jason’s car.”

“Alright, I’m headed there now. I’ll meet you there.”

“Thank you.” Tears split down Will’s cheeks. “Thank you.”

Will hung up. He ran over to grab Jason’s car keys and put on his boots before returning to the living room. He put Nico’s boots on and scooped Nico up into his arms and carried him. Nico lay as still as death itself as Will carried him down the stairs, outside, and laid him down in the backseat of Jason’s car. He ran over to the other side, hopped in, and started toward the hospital.

Despite his frantic state, Will managed to drive somewhat calmly. He didn’t want to whip around and jolt Nico anymore than possible. He continued to check the rear view mirror, hoping to see Nico wake up, but he never did. By the time he reached the hospital, he was nearing a full blown panic-attack. He felt like he couldn’t breathe.

He called his father, and his father met him outside of the ER with a stretcher. A few other doctors and nurses gave them strange looks as they carted Nico through the hallways, but no one dared question the actions of Dr. Apollo. They took the elevator up to another floor, and wheeled Nico into a private room and closed the door.

His father exhaled. “Will, I have no idea what you have me doing.”

“Just—just fix him, okay?”

“I ought to let him die for what he did to you.”

“You’re a doctor!” Will shouted. “Your job is to save him first, and be a dad later.”

His father said nothing else. He grabbed the necessary equipment to take Nico’s vitals, and as he did, he assured Will that everything seemed normal. Once they were certain that moving him again wouldn’t cause any additional harm, Will lifted Nico up off the stretcher and placed him on the bed.

“Will, I need you to tell me more about this cure,” his father said. “The more I understand, the better I can help him.”

“It was a vial of blood. Blood of someone they call the father of all vampires. He’s supposedly the original. It’s supposed to turn Nico human again.”

“And where did you get this—this blood?”

“From the vampire himself.”

“Why would—why would the original vampire let another vampire turn human?”

“I don’t know,” Will insisted. “All I know is that he was supposed to take it. He was supposed to turn human. Nothing else. None of this was supposed to happen.”

“Maybe it’s… maybe it’s a side-effect,” his father said, unsure.

“But why would he be unconscious this long? When Jason turned, he woke up in a matter of minutes.”

“Wait,” his father cut him off. “Jason was a vampire? He turned human, too?”

Will squeezed his eyes shut, frustrated for saying that in his panicked state. “No, Jason was human, and that other killer vampire killed him. Nico had to turn him into a vampire to save his life.”

“What?!” his father exclaimed. “He almost killed you, he turned his friend, and now you want me to save him? And just how many vampires are there?”

Will inhaled, trying to calm himself down.

“Dad,” he spoke slowly. “Nico did it to save Jason’s life. Jason begged him to. But that’s not what I’m worried about right now. My boyfriend—who I don’t know if he’s human or vampire or something else entirely—is unconscious and won’t wake up. You  _ have  _ to focus on him. On saving him.”

“Will, I don’t even know where to start. This is unlike anything I’ve studied or practiced.”

“Well, what would you do if he were human?”

His father looked over to Nico, thinking it over. “He’s breathing, so he doesn’t need a ventilator. And we don’t know what his body needs, so shouldn’t risk hooking him up to an IV,” his father said. “We need to run some scans to make sure his brain is functioning properly, and I’ll need to run some blood tests, too.”

“Thank you,” Will sighed.

“But Will,” his father said. “When this is all over, I’m calling the police.”

“No.”

“Yes, I am. He almost killed you.”

“Dad,” Will tried to keep his voice steady. “If you call the police, I swear I will never speak to you again.”

“I can’t let him get away with everything he’s done!”

“You  _ have  _ to. For me. You have to understand that his world and what he’s been through is  _ so _ different from ours. And if—when—he wakes up, you’ll see that for yourself. You’ll see that vampire or human, he’s still… he’s still  _ good _ ,” Will emphasized. “And the police won’t understand that. What if they send him right back to those scientists? What if he becomes nothing more than an experiment or a project study?”

His father sighed. “There is really no getting through to you, is there?”

“Not on this,” Will answered. “I love him.”

His father stared at him a long, long time. “I’ll help. And we can discuss this further once the test results come back.”

“Fine.” Will frowned, but he supposed it was better than nothing.

His father left the room and quickly returned with what he needed to take blood samples from Nico. He injected the needle into one of the veins in the crook of Nico’s arm and took a few samples of blood. When Nico’s arm continued to bleed, and his father had to tape a piece of gauze over the injection wound, Will felt hopeful. He wasn’t self-healing. Maybe he really was turning human. But the hope quickly fled when he knew Nico still wasn’t waking up. What if he turned human but never woke up? What if that was the consequence of taking the cure? What if Hades planned this all along?

They changed Nico into a hospital gown, and Will helped his father move Nico back onto the stretcher. Once he was settled, his father opened the door and carted Nico out of the room. Will debated whether or not he should follow. Then he decided he wanted to keep an eye on his father before he made any unwarranted phone calls to the police. So Will followed his father down the hall.

They didn’t wait long for an MRI scan. Once complete, they wheeled Nico back into his hospital room. His father hooked him up to a heart rate monitor for good measure. He told Will he was going to his office but would return once the results were in. Will made him promise he wouldn’t call the police, to which he reluctantly assured him he wouldn’t. Then his father left.

Will waited in the chair beside Nico’s hospital bed. He was anxious and couldn’t think straight. He needed someone he could talk to about all of this, so he called Hazel and told her what was happening. Will regretted it immediately. Hazel went into full on hysterics over the phone. She said she wasn’t with Hades, but she could schedule to meet with him to find out what was happening. She told him she wished she could get answers sooner, but that she couldn’t just show up, pounding at Hades’ door. Will said he understood.

Hazel told him not to say anything to Jason. That Jason was still in a vulnerable state, and upsetting him like this could push him over the edge. Will promised he wouldn’t. Hazel made him swear to call with any updates, no matter the hour. Will assured her he would, and the conversation ended soon after.

He inhaled, thoughts spinning, not feeling any better. He’d been hoping that Hazel would know something, that she’d tell him this was all normal and to be expected, but her fear just fueled his own, leaving them both a complete mess.

Will sighed and dialed for Cecil next. He found out that Lou Ellen was still at Cecil’s apartment, so they put him on speaker phone so he could tell them what was happening. They sounded worried, but not nearly as much as Hazel. They apologized repeatedly and told Will they hoped Nico woke up soon. His conversation with them managed to calm him down some. It was much less frantic than his call with Hazel.

With no one else to talk to, Will put his phone back into his pocket and waited. He waited for Nico to wake up. He waited for his results to come in. He waited for  _ something  _ because this stagnation was driving him insane.

Then, as if in answer to his begging, something happened. But it was the worst sound Will could have possibly heard.

Nico’s heart rate monitor flatlined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 You know, I don't often do cliffhangers, but when I do, I like to think I do them well. Maybe it's a little sinister of me to leave things like thing, buuuut finally chapters won't be posted until tomorrow ;) Love you! As always, kudos and comments are appreciated :)


	36. New

-Nico-

_ The air was warm and tasted of salt. The pebbles beneath his feet were round and smooth, worn by the waves that crashed against the shoreline. The water hit midway up his shins before retreating, and he could hear the soft cry of gulls overhead. Nico closed his eyes. _

_ Behind him he could hear the laughter of his mother and his sister, Bianca. He didn’t know what they were laughing about, but just hearing their voices was enough to make him smile. He felt a presence beside him and opened his eyes to see Binca standing there. She wore her brown hair in a braid over her shoulder, and her brown eyes twinkled with a smile. _

_ She reached down and grabbed a flat pebble, skipping it across the surface of the ocean three times before sinking. Nico reached down and did the same. They continued to skip rocks, laughing, and kicking water up at each other until they were both soaked and smelled of the ocean. _

_ Their mother came up from behind, placing a hand on each of their shoulders, and pulling them inward for a hug. Nico leaned into her, happily. _

_ Somewhere in the back of Nico’s mind he knew he was dreaming. But he didn’t care. The dream was so sweet and so tender, he didn’t want to wake up. He could live this dream for eternity and always be happy. _

_ Then he heard his name being called. _

_ “Nico!” _

_ Nico ignored it. His dream was too perfect to be bothered. _

_ “Nico!” _

_ The voice that called his name sounded desperate—frantic. It was an unpleasant disruption. Nico tried his best to shut it out, to focus on the warmth of the sun, the cool breeze, the sound of waves as it crashed against a stone shore. _

_ “Nico! Stay with me!” _

_ And he knew that voice. It was familiar somehow. But distant. So distant. And he couldn’t place a name or a face to it. He just wished the voice would stop. _

_ “Nico, please! You can’t leave me!” _

_ And then Nico felt something, something deep, something hard, push against his chest. The image of the beach shattered like broken glass before fading altogether. _

_ “Nico, I love you!” _

_ And a new image came to mind. An image of a young man with golden curly hair and bright blue eyes. He wore a wide smile of perfectly white teeth, and his skin was as smooth as silk. He had freckles that dotted him like all of the stars in the galaxy. He was warmth. He was happiness. He was the sun. _

_ He was Will Solace. _

Nico’s eyes snapped open, and he gasped for air as if breathing for the first time. His head started to pound, and his chest ached terrible, and when he looked up, he saw Will standing above him, sobbing.

Nico squeezed his eyes closed. He was disoriented. He had no idea of where he was or what was happening or why he was hurting the way he was hurting. Then he felt Will grab onto his hand, and somehow he felt like everything would be okay. Will was saying something to him, but Nico’s head was a little too foggy to catch hold of his words, so instead he just enjoyed the sound of Will’s voice. 

After a moment, his mind caught up to speed, and his thoughts came toppling in, one after the other. The last thing he’d remembered he was taking the cure. He remembered feeling a surge of pain, fearing something was wrong, and then nothing. Blackness. Until he started dreaming once more.

Nico opened his eyes again and stared up at Will. Will had stopped crying, but his cheeks were still wet with tears, and his eyes were bloodshot.

“Are you okay?” Nico asked.

Will stared at him confused for all but a second, before huffing out a laugh. “I should be asking  _ you _ that.”

Nico frowned. He looked around. Everything was starchy and white. He was wearing a hospital gown.

“Am I in a hospital?” he asked.

“Yes, but don’t worry. No one knows you’re here but my and my dad.” Will paused before adding, “And Hazel. And Cecil and Lou Ellen. But nobody else, I promise.”

And then Nico realized. Will’s  _ father _ knew he was here. 

“Wait,” Nico said. “You’re dad knows I’m here? Doesn’t he want to kill me?”

“Ah—well… sort of?” Will answered, suddenly serious. “I’m still working on him to come around.”

“Oh no,” Nico groaned, starting to climb out of the hospital bed. “I should get out of here.”

“No,” Will said. “You need to rest.”

“Why? What happened? Why am I here?”

“You fell unconscious after you took the cure,” Will told him. “You’ve been here for  _ hours _ , Nico. And then your heart—your heart stopped, and I couldn’t call a nurse because no one knows you’re here. So I started doing chest compressions on you, and I thought—I really thought I lost you for a minute.”

“My… heart stopped?” Nico asked.

Will nodded.

“Does that mean… does that mean it worked? Am I human?”

Will frowned and sat beside him on the bed.

“I don’t know, Nico,” he answered, honestly. “My dad ran a few tests on you to see, but we won’t know for sure until the results come back.”

“But my heart stopped,” Nico said. “That’s a good thing, right?”

Will looked at him confused. “How could that be a good thing?”

“Because vampires’ hearts don’t stop. Only humans’ do. That must mean it worked.”

Will lifted Nico’s hand to his lips and gave it a kiss.

“I hope so, Nico.”

Nico looked around, even more confused. He saw a piece of gauze taped to his arm.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“You were bleeding after my dad took a blood sample, so—”

“Wait, Will. Are you hearing yourself? I was bleeding?!”

Nico ripped the gauze off to see an injection wound beneath. It was dark and a bit swollen.

“Will, I have a _wound_ ,” Nico said, excitedly. “I didn’t heal. It _had_ to have worked, right?”

Suddenly, the door opened, and Dr. Apollo walked through. He nearly dropped his charts at the sight of Nico sitting upwards, and Nico stilled under his stare. Dr. Apollo closed the door behind him.

Nico looked around. There was nowhere for him to go. Will’s father was standing in front of the door. There were no other exits. And if he were human, Nico could not survive jumping out of the window. Again. Dr. Apollo continued to stare at him, and Nico could tell he was fighting the impulse to absolutely blow up on him.

“You’re awake,” Dr. Apollo said, finally.

Nico hesitated, unsure of what to even say. So he just nodded.

“I had our teams expedite your MRI and lab results, and I would like to review them with you.

Dr. Apollo walked across the hospital room, holding charts in his hands. Nico could feel his heart beating profusely in his chest. He felt like he might be sick.

“Everything came back normal,” Dr. Apollo said.

Nico nodded. That was good then, right? But vampire normal or human normal?

“We weren’t able to locate the underlying cause of your unconsciousness,” he continued. “My only, and admittedly unprofessional, guess is that your body needed time to recalibrate the transition into being human.”

“What?”

“We couldn’t locate any abnormalities in your brain function or your blood. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

“Wait,” Nico said. “Go back to the part where you said I was human. Are you sure?”

“You are human, Nico,” Dr. Apollo answered. “As human as they come.”

Nico looked over to Will. He’d already assumed this was the case, but hearing it said from a doctor just made it all the more real. As he said it, it really dawned on Nico. He was  _ human. _ He broke out into a smile and wrapped his arms around Will, giving him a long, hard hug. He could feel the tears already beginning to leak from his eyes and stream down his face. He couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe it was real.

Will pulled away, smiled at him, and suddenly, he felt Will’s hands cupping his face, and Will pressed his lips to his. Nico couldn’t think. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. He waited for his fangs to react, for something to happen. But all he could feel was Will’s lips on his own. And when Will finally pulled away, all Nico could do was stare at him.

“Nothing,” Nico said. “I felt nothing.”

Will’s eyes widened in confusion and hurt, and it took Nico a second to realize what he actually said. He scrambled for words to explain.

“My fangs, I mean,” Nico said. “They’re gone. I can’t feel them. I couldn’t feel anything.”

It took Will a moment. He thought it over, piecing it together, and finally he smiled.

“You’re human, Nico,” Will breathed. “You’re human.”

Dr. Apollo cleared his throat, bringing their attention back to him. Nico turned red, all too aware that Will had kissed him right in front of his father who probably wanted him dead. And now that he was human, Dr. Apollo killing him was very much a possibility.

Nico panicked. He really didn’t know what to say, so the words spilled from his mouth before he could even think. “I am really _ , really _ sorry. For everything. I’m sure you probably—”

“We’re not going to talk about that right now,” Dr. Apollo cut him off, raising his hand.

“Why not?” Will interrupted.

“I have nothing to say that hasn’t already been said to you.”

Will narrowed his eyes. “Dad, just hear him out.”

Dr. Apollo and Will engaged in a staring contest of wills, and it was enough to make Nico want to bolt straight out of the room. Whatever was going on here, he did not want to be a part of it. But unfortunately, he knew, he was very much the cause. Nico supposed he had to be the one to say something first because neither of them were going to budge. Nico inhaled deeply.

“I know I messed up—”

“That’s putting it lightly,” Will’s father said, turning to him.

Nico took another deep breath before continuing. “I know I  _ really  _ messed up. I know what I did to Will was unforgivable, and I don’t deserve his forgiveness. Or yours. And I’m sorry. Sorrier than I’ve ever been in my life. Hurting Will was the worst thing I could’ve done short of, well, killing him. And I know my apologies don’t change that fact that it happened—the fact that I did that, but it will  _ never  _ happen again. Especially now, if I’m human…”

Nico trailed off. He didn’t know where he was going with this. He took a moment to gather his thoughts together before saying anything else.

“Will is the most important person in the world to me,” he said. “And I will spend the rest of my life—even if it’s a very short human life—making sure he’s safe. No matter what.”

Dr. Apollo raised a brow and frowned. “You make it sound as though you’re getting married.”

Nico turned red. “No—no, we’re just... just dating.”

“Dad,” Will said, finally. “I know it’s a lot, but things are different now. Nico is human and the other vampire is gone. There’s no more threat. No more danger. The only thing that hasn’t changed is how I feel about Nico, and I don’t want to lose you because of it.”

Dr. Apollo sighed. He grabbed onto a swivel chair and sat down. “Just, start from the beginning. Tell me everything piece by piece. I’m just having difficulty understanding how we got like this.”

And so they did. And they talked for hours. And hours. Even though Will had told his father most things already, they rewound to the very beginning and started over slowly. Dr. Apollo would stop them to ask questions occasionally but otherwise just listened. And the more they talked, the more he began to understand. Or, at least, the more he tried to.

The conversation eventually turned away from vampires and revolved more about Will and Nico. About how they felt toward each other. About how they’d do anything for each other, no matter the risk. And maybe it was the fact that Nico was human and no longer posed a threat, or maybe it was the fact that Dr. Apollo noticed the way Will held Nico’s hand the entire time they talked, but eventually, he started to come around.

By the time the sun started to set, and no one really had much else to say, Dr. Apollo nodded in understanding. And that was all Nico could ask for. Dr. Apollo then stood up.

“Am I… am I okay to leave here now?” Nico asked.

“Yes,” Dr. Apollo answered. “Just take it easy over the next few days. I can’t say I know with any sort of certainty what you’re going through, but your body just went through a major change. All I can do is recommend rest.”

With nothing else to say, Will’s father left the room. Nico and Will looked at each other for a long time. Eventually, Will leaned in and kissed him. And then Will pulled away and started laughing.

“What?” Nico asked.

“Nico, I didn’t want to say this in front of my dad, but if you ever kiss me and say you feel nothing again, I will be the one who stops your heart next.”

Nico’s eyes grew wide. “Wow, I’ve been human not even a full day, and you’re already threatening to kill me?”

“Don’t worry. I would resuscitate you again.”

“I think I’ll leave that to the hospital staff next time. Me chest fucking  _ hurts _ .”

Will’s eyes widened. “Do you think I broke a rib?”

“No,” Nico shook his head and started climbing down from the hospital bed. “And I’m not getting any x-rays, either. I’m ready to get the fuck out of here.”

Nico grabbed his clothes which were folded on the table and started changing into his jeans. Will walked over, and once Nico slipped his sweatshirt back on over his head, Will pulled him in for another kiss. Nico kissed him back before pulling him into a hug and burying his face in Will’s chest.

“This is your third time saving me,” Nico mumbled.

Will chuckled. “It’s because you’re always getting yourself into trouble.”

“Gods, I really fucking hope this is the last of it.”

  
  
  


-Will- 

Will insisted on being the one to drive Jason’s car, wary to exert Nico too much. Everything from this point forward would be new to Nico. He had a very new, very  _ human  _ body after all, and Will didn’t want to push it. While Will drove, Nico called Hazel to let him know he was okay and of the good news. Though Will couldn’t distinguish her words, he could hear the very excited and relieved shouting on the other line. It made him smile.

When they reached Will’s apartment, Nico suggested switching Jason’s car out for his own. Jason would probably be filed as a missing person or even dead soon, so they probably shouldn’t be driving his car. Will couldn’t agree more. So Nico retrieved his keys from Will’s apartment, and they were once again back in Jason’s car headed toward Nico’s old apartment.

Both of them were relieved to find Nico’s car was still there. Nico told Will he had his car registered under a different name than his apartment, which was also a different name than what he had on his license, which was  _ also _ different than the one on his passport, to make him more difficult to track. They dropped Jason’s car off and switched over to Nico’s, and this time, Nico insisted on driving. It was his car, after all.

Nico put his car into drive but hadn’t started pulling off the curb yet, when he turned to Will with a grin

“Will, I’m  _ hungry _ ,” he said.

And a wave of fear washed over Will for a moment. Why was Nico craving blood? He was supposed to be human. But then when Will realized how excited Nico sounded to make such a statement, he realized it wasn’t for blood at all. He was hungry for  _ food.  _ And that just made Will beam.

“What kind of food do you like?”

“Well, I don’t really remember,” Nico confessed. “But I do remember you once telling me that the coffee shop we went to before has amazing pancakes?”

“Nico,” Will looked over to him, “pancakes are essentially my love language.”

Nico grinned. “I’m lucky you’re so easy to please.”

Nico started driving in the direction of the coffee shop, and Will took out his phone and sent a group text to Cecil and Lou Ellen.

Will:  _ nico woke up, and you’ll never believe this _

Cecil:  _ oh no _

Lou Ellen:  _ what? _

Will:  _ HE’S HUMAN _

Lou Ellen:  _ how exciting! _

Cecil:  _ oh nooooooo _

Will:  _ why “oh nooooooo”? _

Cecil:  _ i had so many vampire questions i wanted to ask him _

Will:  _... _

Lou Ellen:  _ i swear cecil, you’re an idiot _

Will:  _ you know… you know you can still ask him right? it’s not like he forgot everything _

Cecil:  _ ugh, but it’s not the same T.T _

Lou Ellen:  _ cecil, repeat after me: i, cecil markowitz, am happy that your boyfriend is okay _

Cecil:  _ i, cecil markowitz, am TOTALLY ENRAGED I DON’T HAVE A VAMPIRE FRIEND ANYMORE _

Will:  _ … close enough _

Lou Ellen:  _ progress? i think? maybe not. probably not. _

Cecil:  _ now i have to be friends with JASON _

Will:  _ you two are the same type of chaotic, so i’m sure you’ll be best friends _

Cecil:  _ perfect.  _

Lou Ellen:  _ so what now? nico is human, and we just kind of… forget everything about what happened _

Will:  _ maybe forgetting is a little extreme. let’s start with forgiveness _

Cecil:  _ as long as you’re not hurt, bro, i can forgive him _

Lou Ellen:  _ me too. i guess he was fine when we met him. and knowing you’re not in danger anymore helps _

Will:  _ i love you guys _

Cecil:  _ i accept love in the payment of booze _

Will:  _ you have issues. anyways, nico and i are about to go get some food, so i’ll ttyl _

Cecil:  _ sweet invite. ttyl _

Lou Ellen:  _ see ya _

Will looked up to see that they’d arrived at the coffee shop. It was starting to get late by now, and Will usually tried to refrain going anywhere when they were close to closing, since he worked in a diner and definitely knew basic restaurant etiquette, but they still had about an hour. And it was Nico’s idea, and it would be his first human meal since—Will did the math in his head— _ 1954 _ , so Will decided he wouldn’t worry about it just this one time.

Nico put the car into park, and the two of them got out and headed inside. The cafe was pretty empty, save for themselves, the staff, and a few stragglers, so Will led Nico over to the booth that Cecil, Lou Ellen, and he always sat in. The waitress was quick to come by, taking their orders. One hot cocoa for Will, one black coffee for Nico, and two orders of pancakes. When she left, Nico’s stomach gave a small growl.

“This is  _ so weird _ ,” Nico leaned in, speaking to Will in a low voice. “It’s hunger. I know it’s hunger. But it’s completely different.”

“How so?”

“Well before, it was this… burning pit. This fire that I couldn’t put out. And it made my teeth ache and my head spin until I couldn’t think clearly,” Nico explained. “Now, now it feels like… just an emptiness? Almost like my stomach is twisting in on itself, I guess. It’s completely different.”

“Wait until you become human hangry.”

Nico looked at him, confused. “I have no idea what that word is.”

Will laughed. “Hangry is when you feel hungry and angry at the same time.”

Nico raised a brow. “That’s a made up word.”

“Yes.”

Nico laughed. “You’re starting to sound like Jason.”

“Oh  _ please  _ never compare me to him again,” Will joked. “He’s a handful.”

“That’s the nicest word I’ve ever heard anyone use to describe him.”

Will laughed. Nico did, too, for a moment, but then his expression turned somewhat sad.

“I just hope that asshole’s okay, though,” Nico said.

Will reached across the table and held onto Nico’s hand. He rubbed his thumb along the back of Nico’s hand and offered him a smile.

“He will be. He has Hazel looking out for him.”

“That’s true. And if anyone can keep Jason in line, it’s her,” Nico paused for a moment before continuing. “I just… I just want you to know I didn’t turn Jason just so I could take the cure.”

“I know that, Nico.”

“I just wanted to be sure. As happy as I am, I can’t help but feel a little guilty.”

Will smiled slightly, meant to be reassuring. “You did what you had to to save him.”

“I know,” Nico sighed. “I just wish there was another way. I wish I tracked Bryce down  _ before  _ all that happened.”

“None of us thought to. It’s not your fault.”

Before Will could say anything else, the waitress returned with their drinks and food. Will withdrew his hand from Nico’s, and they waited patiently for the waitress to set everything down for them. They both gave her their thanks, and she left. Nico’s eyes grew wide like a child’s as he took in the plate of pancakes in front of him.

“It even  _ smells  _ different,” he commented.

Will laughed. 

It didn’t take the two of them very long to finish their plates. By the look of it, it almost seemed Nico traded one appetite for another. He shoveled the food into his mouth quickly, as if he was on the brink of true starvation, without really taking a second to enjoy it. But that was fine by Will. If anything, he found it  _ cute _ . He’d never tell Nico that because he remembered the time Nico called  _ him _ cute, and that was embarrassing. And if Will were being honest, he wasn’t being the most graceful eater, either. With everything that had happened today, all he managed to get down was a granola bar his father gave him at the hospital, and he’d otherwise felt nauseous.

Now, however, he was very much full and sipping on his hot cocoa while Nico worked on his coffee. By the time the waitress returned, neither of them could finish their drinks. She set the bill down in front of Will, which made Nico glare at him for some unknown reason, and then took off.

“What’s with the death stare?” Will asked.

“Something Jason once said last time we went out to a restaurant,” Nico answered.

“Are you about to compare me to Jason again?”

Nico grinned. “No?”

Will smiled. “Good.”

Will left it at that. Whatever it was Nico was thinking, Will felt like he didn’t need to know. The two of them split the bill and walked back out to Nico’s car. It was much colder out by now, and Will wished he had a jacket. But the walk was short, and Nico’s car heated up quickly as they drove back.

The two of them walked up the stairs to Will’s apartment and went inside. It was late by this point, and after such an emotional day, Will was admittedly exhausted. To think he’d almost lost Nico, and now Nico was  _ human _ . It was a nightmare turned into a dream. But now Will was tired, and he couldn’t wait to go to bed with Nico in his arms.

They kicked off their shoes and headed over to Will’s bedroom. Will lent Nico another pair of sweats and a t-shirt to wear, and when Nico lifted his shirt up to change, Will could see light bruising on his chest from the chest compressions he’d done earlier.

“How are you feeling?” Will asked.

Nico yawned. “ _ Abbiocco _ .”

Will smiled. “Now who’s the one making up words?”

Nico gave a lazy wink. “There’s no word for it in  _ your _ language. It’s that sleepy feeling you get when you’re full of food.”

Will hummed. Nico still hadn’t put a shirt on yet, and it was making Will think all kinds of things.

“It’s kind of hot when you speak Italian,” Will said.

“ _ Vuoi che ti parli italiano a letto _ ?”

“What?” Will asked, looking for a translation.

“ _ Rótisa an thélete na sas milíso italiká sto kreváti _ .”

“Okay now you’re just showing off.” Will rolled his eyes.

“I can’t help myself,” Nico said. “ _ Farei qualsiasi cosa per impressionarti _ .”

“Are you going to tell me what you’re saying, or do I need to find a translator?”

Nico took a step toward Will, closing the space between them as he wrapped his arms around Will’s waist. “I said I’d do anything to impress you.”

“And before that?”

“ _ Do you want me to speak Italian in bed? _ ” Nico smirked.

Will felt the blush rise to his cheeks. Nico pressed himself up onto his toes and kissed Will deeply. Will kissed him back slowly before pulling away.

“My dad said to take it easy, Nico,” Will warned.

“I don’t care,” Nico said, and he didn’t sound like he minded one bit. “I want you.”

“Nico…”

“I love the sound of my name on your lips,” Nico said, catching Will with another long kiss.

“Why are you so hard to resist?” Will breathed.

“Because I am  _ irresistibile _ ,” Nico teased.

Will huffed a laugh. “You’re going to make me regret saying that I thought you speaking Italian was hot, aren’t you?”

“Probably,” Nico answered before pressing their lips together once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3 Nico is aliiiive. Though, I'm sure you probably knew I wasn't mean enough to actually kill him. And once again, I speak neither Italian nor Greek- Google translate is my friend lol. Anyways, kudos and comments are always appreciated :)


	37. Irresistible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning* This chapter is just straight smut. Please skip if this is something you are uncomfortable reading. I will add notes at the bottom of the page with a summary of anything "important," so you don't feel as though you missed something.

-Nico-

Nico gently cupped the sides of Will’s face and kissed him slowly but with deep intensity. Their lips moved together and along one another in a way that made the moment stretch on for an eternity. There was no rush. No frantic desperation. Just endless, burning fervor. As if their lips were meant for this moment and this moment alone. To kiss and feel each other’s warmth and taste the sweetness on each other’s breaths. Nico felt as though he could melt into Will. That the world around them, their past, and their worries, were nothing more than a dream that faded upon waking up. The only thing left was Will, and that was all he needed.

Will’s hands lowered to hold his waist, and the feeling of his hands on his bare skin made him shiver. He felt the way Will smiled against his lips, which just made Nico kiss him a little bit harder, a little more deeply. Then Will’s lips parted ever so slightly, and Nico was slow to run his tongue along his bottom lip. Will shivered in turn, and Nico slid his hands down Will’s neck until they rested at the base of his shoulders.

Nico gave Will a soft bite of his bottom lip which drew a light gasp from Will’s breath. He kissed Will again, parting Will’s lips with his own before sliding his tongue inside and giving Will’s a gentle lick. Their tongues moved along one another’s with fluid ease. They took their time, as if learning each other’s mouths and movements for the first time.

Will guided Nico to the bed with grace. Nico felt the backs of his legs brush up against the mattress, and Will leaned into him, their lips never moving from one another’s, until he was lying on his back. Nico curled his fingers up under the hem of Will’s shirt. He drew it upwards, his knuckles brushing along Will’s skin as he did so.

Will pulled away for a moment to remove his shirt before giving his attention back to Nico. Their mouths found each other once more in slow kisses, and Will’s bare chest against Nico’s made him tremble in response. Will climbed up onto the mattress as Nico slid back until they were both on the bed comfortably. Nico trailed his fingers along Will’s sides from his waist to his chest and back down again. He stopped at Will’s hips, giving them a soft squeeze and coaxing them toward him.

Will rolled his hips into him, slowly, and Nico tilted his head back to catch his breath. He opened his eyes and brought his gaze up to Will, who looked back at him with all of the perfection of the world. Nico propped himself up onto one elbow, his other hand cupping the side of Will’s face, and he lifted his head to kiss Will thoroughly. He slowly began to sit up, turning Will onto his back, and crawling on top of him.

Nico began a trail of kisses along the curve of Will’s jawline. He stopped at Will’s ear, giving him a gentle nip of his earlobe before moving onto Will’s neck. Nico’s heart pounded against his ribcage as he pecked kisses along Will’s neck. This wasn’t something he was able to do before now. In the past, he loved the feeling of Will’s lips against his own neck, kissing and sucking, but was upset he couldn’t do it to Will. He’d been nervous to feel Will’s pulse beneath his lips, fearing his fangs could sharpen at any moment, but now—now he didn’t need to be afraid. Now he was human. And he wanted Will to enjoy every moment of it.

Nico took his time, running kisses up and down the side of Will’s neck before settling just above his collarbone. He pressed his lips to Will’s skin, running his tongue over the surface before giving him a gentle suck. He felt the way Will tilted his head back, exposing his neck more, and Nico, a little more excited, a little more desperate, began to work on Will’s neck. He sucked and licked and gave soft bites, moving his way up Will’s neck. He could hear Will’s breathing in his ear and felt the way Will’s hips pushed ever so slightly against his own. And he gave Will one last suck before pulling away, Will was quick to push his lips back against Nico’s.

“That’s going to leave a mark tomorrow,” Will said.

“I’m sorry.” But his apology was betrayed by a slight smile which made the corners of Will’s lips turn upward in turn.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re not?” Will asked, a light tease in his voice.

Will was quick to bring their lips together once more. They moved with a little more speed this time. A little more intensity. The burning fervor turned into something a bit more eager. Nico shifted until he was kissing Will’s neck once more. He didn’t stay there long, slowly moving down the course of Will’s body. He crossed over his collarbones and made his way to Will’s chest. He pressed his lips to Will’s nipple, running his tongue over it until it turned hard. Nico gave it a gentle suck and used his free hand to pinch Will’s other nipple. Will bucked his hips upward at the feeling, and Nico slowed down in turn to take his sweet, sweet time.

When he had Will nearly writhing beneath him, eager for more, Nico shifted his hand down to Will’s waistline. He ran his thumb under the band of his sweats before grabbing hold of the hem and beginning to tug them downward. Will raised his hips and response, and Nico left a trail of kisses from Will’s chest to his hip bones. He shimmied down Will’s sweats as he kissed him, only stopping to pull them off entirely.

Once they were off, Nico took Will’s cock in his hand and began to stroke him. Will released a gentle moan as Nico moved his hand up and down, slowing every time he reached Will’s tip. Nico shifted lower. He ran his tongue slowly up the length of Will’s cock, and Will lifted his hips more. Nico began teasing him with long, patient licks, pressing his thumb up against the head of Will’s cock, until he was warm and wet with saliva. Nico heard the way Will’s breathing hitched in his throat, aching for him, and Nico knew he’d be satisfied if that was the only sound he ever heard again.

Nico pressed a kiss to Will’s shaft before moving to swirl his tongue around his tip. He licked his lips and closed them around the head of Will’s cock. He pressed it tongue flat against him and wrapped his fingers around the base of Will’s shaft, slowly moving his hand up and down and twisting his wrist ever so slightly.

He lowered his lips further down Will’s shaft, taking him in deeper. He started off with a slow, deep sucking, letting Will harden more in the heat of his mouth. He used his free hand to rake his finger up Will’s thighs, making him shiver beneath the touch. Nico continued on, drawing out every moment, every lick, every suck, every light twist of his wrist, until Will couldn’t take it anymore, and his thighs tightened to the sides of Nico’s head.

Nico stole a moment to pause and look up, still with the tip of Will’s cock in his mouth. And when Will looked back at him, his lips parted and his breathing deep, and his eyes glistening in anticipation, Nico gave him one last, teasing kick of his tongue before taking him deeper into his mouth. He moved with ease up and down Will’s shaft, slick and warm and throbbing. He worked Will’s base with one hand and shifted the other to cup his balls gently before rubbing his thumb in a circular massage.

Will didn’t hide the groan that escaped him, which made Nico’s own cock twitch in response. He started to move faster. And deeper. And Will rocked his hips in rhythm with him as he head bobbed up and down. And when the tips of Nico’s teeth accidentally grazed along his shaft, Nico was afraid he might have hurt him, but the sound that came from Will’s throat was pure ecstasy.

“Nico…” Will warned, lacing his fingers through Nico’s hair. “I’m… really close.”

And hearing that just excited Nico more. He pressed Will’s cock between his tongue and the roof of his mouth, keeping a perfect, fast pace. He could feel the trembling of Will’s thighs besides him.

“Nico… you have to… stop.”

Nico would have ignored him and kept going, he would have brought Will right to the edge of climax and sent him over with hot throbbing bliss, if Will hadn’t rocked his hips back and gently tugged Nico’s hair to pull him off. Will’s other hand moved to Nico’s wrist, stilling his movement.

Nico withdrew with a smile on his face, watching the way Will’s chest rose and fell and he panted. It took Will a moment to gather himself and open his eyes, but when he did, he untangled his fingers from Nico’s hair and back in a mix of awe and pleasure.

“Nico,” Will said, his voice a bit more controlled. “I can’t finish now when there’s still more I’d like to do to you.”

“Oh?” Nico raised a brow.

Nico crawled forward, his fingers tracing the sides of Will’s body as he did so, before finding his new favorite place as Will’s neck and starting to kiss him there all over again.

“And what would you like to do to me, Will?” he mumbled between kisses. 

“Well...” Will said between breaths.

“Hmm?” Nico hummed into Will’s neck.

“I’d like to try being on top this time, if that’s okay?”

Nico paused to think for a moment before realizing what Will was asking. Then he smiled and pressed another kiss to Will’s neck.

“Whatever you want, Will.”

-Will- 

Will sat up, kissing Nico as he did so, and guided Nico down onto his back. Nico shifted beneath Will’s body as Will’s hands gripped his sides before moving down to his waist. Will moved his hands to the waistline of Nico’s sweats. He tugged them down as Nico lifted his hips until they were off.

He was admittedly a little nervous, and his head was still a bit foggy with the memory of Nico’s lips around his cock, but he did want to try this. He wanted Nico to feel what he felt. The complete pleasure of being filled and the thrill of being thrust into while his cock throbbed in Will’s hand. He wanted to work Nico over in every possible way until he came completely undone.

So Will shook away any nervousness he was feeling and wrapped his fingers around Nico’s already rigid cock. A wave of excitement burned through him knowing that Nico was already as turned on and hard as he was just from sucking him. Nico was enjoying himself just as much as he was, and Will was eager to take Nico’s pleasure even further.

Will paused for a moment, realizing there was something else he wanted. He let go of Nico and climbed off the bed. Nico didn’t say anything as Will retrieved the lube and a condom from his nightstand. Will got back up onto the bed and set the condom down on the mattress while he opened the bottle of lube. He poured some out into his hand, watching the way Nico’s dark eyes grew with anticipation. Will took Nico’s cock back in both hands and started to massage him. Nico shivered at the cool liquid at first but was quick to adjust.

While Will used one hand to move up and down Nico’s shaft, his other stayed fixed at the top with his fingers wrapped to apply pressure to Nico’s tip. His hand slid up and down fluidly and with slow precision. Will gave slight twists of his wrist and pressed his thumb to the underside of his tip, and the movement made Nico lift his hips with a groan. He removed his hand from Nico’s tip, while continuing to run his other up and down his shaft.

Will placed his finger to the entrance of Nico’s ass which made Nico buck his hips. Will pressed his finger inside just a little before withdrawing some and going back. With each pulse, he went a little further, a little deeper, until his finger was all the way in. He continued to thrust back and forth until Nico begged for a second one, and Will was pleased to oblige.

He stretched Nico open a little bit more, slowing his pace as he did so. When Nico was comfortable, he quickened his pace just enough to leave Nico rolling his hips, aching for more. But Will didn’t give him that satisfaction. Not yet. He pressed his fingers in and pulled them back with one hand while he stroked Nico’s cock with his other. He watched as Nico gripped the sheets before inserting a third finger.

As Will did so, he shifted around, lowering his head to Nico’s cock. Nico’s eyes were closed by now, so he didn’t see what Will was doing. Will stilled his hand from stroking Nico to give him a long lick up his shaft while he pressed his fingers deep into him.

“Fuck,” Nico gasped.

Will smiled and didn’t take a moment longer before taking the tip of Nico’s cock into his mouth. He moved his fingers a bit slower now, following the pace of his gentle sucking. He started to stoke Nico once more, his hand gliding over the wetness of his shaft. Will continued on, sucking Nico and pressing his fingers into him, until Nico couldn’t bear it any longer.

“Will,” Nico breathed. “I need you in me. Right now.”

Will released Nico’s cock from his mouth and grinned. He pushed his fingers in deeply, making Nico gasp, before withdrawing them slowly. Nico looked to him, lightly biting his bottom lip. Will sat back on his heels for a moment and reached for the condom. He opened the wrapper and placed it on the head of his cock when Nico spoke up.

“You know,” Nico raised a brow, “I bet I could put that on excellently with my mouth.”

“As much as I would love to see you do that, I think if I were in your mouth again, I wouldn’t be able to stop.”

Nico grinned devilishly. “I don’t see the problem with that.”

Will leaned forward to kiss Nico as he rolled the condom down his shaft.

“You do if you want me inside of you,” he whispered.

Nico blushed and swallowed, not saying another word. And once the condom was on, Will applied more lube before positioning himself. Nico laid back with his knees drawn up, waiting for Will to begin. Will touched the tip of his cock against Nico’s entrance before pushing in slightly. He went in easier than expected but knew to take his time regardless. He didn’t want to hurt Nico since this was his first time doing this, and he also wanted to draw this out until Nico begged him for more.

So Will took his time. He rolled his hips forward only slightly before pulling back again. He waited another moment and did it again. He could feel the heat in his cock, eager with the tightness of Nico around him. He pulsed forward and back with ease, never going far enough to give them what they both wanted.

Will watched the way Nico reached for his own cock, taking it in his hand, and beginning to massage himself. The sight made Will’s mouth wet and his heart pound, and he pushed into Nico just a little bit deeper. Nico moaned at the feeling, and Will withdrew again. They kept at it, Will taunting him with slow, easy rolls of his hips while Nico touched himself thoroughly. Will grabbed hold of Nico’s thighs, pressing into them with the tips of his fingers.

“Will, you’re driving me crazy,” Nico confessed.

“Keep talking, and I’ll go even slower,” Will teased.

Nico closed his mouth in response, only to reopen with a gasp when Will thrust a bit further into him again before pulling back. Will’s heart began to beat a little faster. He gradually began to quicken his pace. His gentle rolls turned into a more rhythmic thrusting.

Will watched as Nico’s hand stilled around his cock. Will moved to put his hand over Nico’s guiding Nico’s hand up and down himself once more.

Nico raised his hips some, encouraging Will to go faster. And by now, the hot pleasure that tore through Will was becoming too much to go slowly and longer. So he quickened his pace once more and Nico followed with the movement of his hips. Nico slipped his hand out from beneath Will’s placing his hand on top to allow Will to be the one to set the pace.

Will pushed into him again and stroked him up and down. His hips began to move faster and faster, each thrust drawing a soft pant from Nico’s lips.

“I’m… I’m getting close,” Nico breathed.

Will leaned forward, into Nico, burying his face into Nico’s neck, and he started to suck at it. Hard. And then suddenly it all became too much but in the best way possible. With Nico’s cock hot in his firm grip wedged between their abs, with Will thrusting into him—each pulse hitting the same perfect and oh-so-sweet spot within Nico that drew rhythmic gasping from his lips, with Nico’s legs hooked around his thighs, driving his heels in—pushing Will harder and deeper and Nico’s fingers digging fiercely into his shoulder blades, Will bit at the skin his neck.

In his ear, Will heard a cry tore itself from Nico’s throat, a mix of absolute elation and overwhelm, and Nico came apart completely in his control. But Will didn’t stop or slow down. He sucked at Nico’s neck, driving his hips forward and back, and Nico’s breath hitched and then stopped breathing altogether as Will continued to send waves of pleasure through him. And Nico’s body started shaking, started writhing beneath him and half-clawing at him to escape, but Will locked him down beneath his chest and between his arms, thrusting himself even deeper into Nico as the heat reached its climax.

Stars overtook his vision, he moaned into Nico’s skin, and he gave a few last thrusts as he rode out his orgasm, his whole body pulsing and throbbing and hot and shivering, until there was nothing left. Will paused for a moment to catch his breath before slowly pulling out and beginning to sit up. No sooner had Will removed the condom and tossed it aside than Nico wrapped his arms around him, drawing their bodies together once more. He could feel Nico’s body tremoring wildly beneath him, the tips of Nico’s fingers still digging into his back, desperate for something stable. And they both panted heavily and deeply, each one of them unable to think or find words.

And when Nico finally began to calm and his body managed to stop shaking, Will rolled off of him, and the two of them stared at each other in the dark, smiles on their faces. Will reached over and pulled Nico close for what was meant to be a long kiss, but they stopped rather quickly, still catching their breaths. Nico slid his arm around Will’s waist, and Will wrapped his just below Nico’s shoulder. They laid like that for a few minutes, just holding each other and enjoying the slow recession of intense bliss from their bodies.

When Will could breathe again and his head started to clear, he reached over to tuck Nico’s hair behind his ear. His eyes fell to the dark bruise he’s felt on Nico’s neck, and he traced his thumb gently over it. And it made Will happy. Happy because he  _ could  _ leave a mark like that. Happy because of what it meant. 

“Nico,” Will started, his thumb moving along the mark. “I have good news and bad news.”

“What is it?” Nico played along.

“The bad news is, you bruise like a peach,” he said, “but the good news is, that makes you so wholly and perfectly human.”

Nico grinned foolishly and huffed a laugh. Will smiled back. Nico was human, and Nico was his and his alone. So Will leaned in, finally getting the long, slow kiss that he wanted. When they finally pulled away from one another, they looked at each other for a long time before Nico spoke up.

“Will?”

“What?”

Nico gave a wry smile. “Do you still think I’m hot without my fangs?”

Will laughed. “Nope! You disgust me. Now please get out of my bed before I shove you out.”

Nico gave an expression of mock-offense before grinning and jumping on Will. He climbed on top of him and pinned his arms up above on the pillow. Will looked up at Nico, whose dark hair fell around his face, and Nico looked down at him devilishly before attacking him with playful kisses. Between laughs, Will kissed him back.

“What about now?” Nico asked him.

Will rolled his eyes, but his smile betrayed him. “I  _ guess _ you can stay.”

He lifted his head upward to give Nico another kiss, and Nico let go of his arms. Will reached upward and pulled Nico into him. He rolled Nico over so he was on top and started kissing him more. And once they were out of breath and panting for air, Will rolled off of him once more. Will laid on his back, and Nico was quick to snuggle in and place his head on Will’s chest. Will didn’t mind one bit. He lifted his hand and ran his fingers through Nico’s hair.

“Will?” Nico asked again.

“Yes?”

“I’m so happy.”

“Me, too, Nico. Me too.”

A moment passed. Nico turned his head to look up at Will.

“ _ Will? _ ” Nico asked, teasingly.

“Yes, Nico?” Will chuckled. “You are being a child, right now.”

Nico gave him a light kiss and murmured, “ _ Ti amo _ .”

Will smiled. He knew that one.  _ I love you.  _ “ _ Ti amo _ , too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3
> 
> If you skipped the chapter and are just reading the notes. Here is a summary of what you missed:  
> -Nico learns he loves kissing Will's neck  
> -Nico gives Will a blow job  
> -Surprise! Will switches to top  
> -Will gives Nico a hickie, and Nico bruises like a peach (but it's okay - that means he's human)  
> -Nico jokingly asks Will if he still thinks he's hot without his fangs, Will teasingly says no (but of course he does)  
> -They say I love you to each other (in Italian, of course)
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated :)


	38. Time

-Nico-

Two weeks passed, and Nico sat in the passenger seat of his own car. He wore a blindfold, which made him feel really foolish, but Will had insisted, and Nico didn’t just say no to Will. Will was driving his car, which Nico did feel sort of nervous about because his car  _ was _ expensive and Will never really drove, but Will didn’t have his own car, and he asked Nico if he could drive his. And again, Nico never really said no to Will.

“When are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Nico asked.

“If I was going to tell you, then there’d be no need for the blindfold, would there?”

Nico fought the urge to lift it and sneak a peek at Will. But he knew if Will caught him, he wouldn’t be pleased.

“Don’t you think I’ve had enough surprises for a lifetime?”

“Don’t be a brat, Nico,” Will said, but there was laughter in his voice. “This is your first  _ human _ birthday in forever, and we’re going to do it properly.”

Nico grinned. “Fine. You win.”

He didn’t know what Will had planned for him, but he didn’t care either. Even if Will hadn’t planned anything and the two of them spent the whole day snuggled up on the couch watching bad movies and eating their weight in snacks, Nico wouldn’t care. As long as Will was with him, nothing else mattered. Nico blindly reached over until he grabbed hold of Will’s hand and held it in his own. He couldn’t help but smile.

Waking up every day since he’d turned human had been an absolute dream. Even in the few short weeks that had passed, it seemed everything had changed. There was no more worry or fear. No threats or danger. No lies. No secrets. The media outlets still sometimes discussed the vampire scare that plagued the city, but it seemed the investigation went cold and with no new cases, it was slowly becoming a thing of the past. For the first time since Nico and Will met, everything came and passed in complete calm.

When Will was home, Nico spent his time with him. They mostly watched movies, played video games, and went on  _ a lot _ of dates. They went to a museum, tried ice-skating, toured some of the fanciest restaurants in the city, walked the local park, and spent many mornings at the coffee shop. Will showed Nico how to cook a few basic things, and Nico showed Will a few songs on the guitar. A handful of times, they met up with Cecil and Lou Ellen. And during one board game night with them, Nico discovered his new alcohol tolerance was very, dangerously low without his vampire metabolism, and Will spent that evening rubbing Nico’s back as he sat on the floor next to the toilet. Everything was  _ normal _ . Normal and perfect.

On the days Will had to shadow at the hospital, work at the diner, or—as of recently—had class, Nico found various ways to keep himself occupied. Nico spent a good majority of his time reading or playing guitar, but sometimes he forced himself out of the apartment. He’d gone shopping for a new wardrobe, since all of his clothes were at his old apartment he could never return to, and he couldn’t help but pick up a few things he thought Will would look good in, too. Mostly red. He loved the way Will looked in red. As he shamelessly spent money, he knew he probably  _ should _ go job hunting soon, as since he was no longer a vampire, Hades would eventually cut him off. Nico was just hoping that would be later rather than sooner.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly in his friendships, too. Though Hazel and Jason were usually busy, and given the time-zone differences, they didn’t find as much time to talk as he’d wished, Nico managed to FaceTime with them once in a while. From what he could gather, they both seemed to be doing fine and well, which made Nico more than happy. Will had brought him around Cecil and Lou Ellen, and although things had been awkward at first, it all seemed to figure itself fairly quickly. Cecil was more than eager to ask him about a million and a half questions about vampires, while Lou Ellen seemed more interested in his travel experiences. And then there was Will’s father, Dr. Apollo.

Things were still… tense, to say the least. But Nico would take that over being actively hated. Dr. Apollo agreed he wouldn’t turn Nico over to the authorities, the Department of Medical Advancement, or anyone else. And that was all Nico could ask for. They had little contact since Nico woke up as a human in the hospital, but when Will talked to his father on the phone, his father would ask about him. How he was transitioning, adjusting, if anything was needed. Nico didn’t know if he asked for his sake or for Will’s, but regardless, it was a start. 

His stream of thoughts came to an end as Nico felt Will slow the car and begin to turn. Soon enough Will put the car into park.

“Okay,” Nico said, turning to Will and feeling ridiculous. “Can I take this off, yet?”

“No,” Will teased.

Any protests Nico might have had were promptly muted by a kiss. When Will pulled away again, Nico immediately missed the feeling of Will’s lips on his. Then Nico heard the car door open, Will stepped out, and it closed again. Nico unbuckled his seatbelt and sat in the passenger seat, unsure of what to do. He didn’t exactly want to climb out of the car with his blindfold still on. So he decided he would wait for Will to come get him. A few seconds later, his door opened, and Will took his hand.

“Let’s go.”

“Will…” Nico groaned, awkwardly finding his way out of the car without hitting his head on anything.

Then Nico felt Will’s hands touching his cheeks as he lifted the blindfold. He squinted his eyes at the sudden light, but the first thing he saw was Will smiling at him.

“Hi there” Will grinned.

Nico huffed, amused. “Hi, Will.”

“We’re here.”

Nico looked around to see they were standing on the sidewalk in front of The Lotus Hotel. A smile immediately spread across his cheeks, and he pressed up onto his toes to give Will a kiss.

“I hope it’s not stupid,” Will blushed. “But we’ve been on so many dates recently, and I was really running out of ideas—”

“Will,” Nico cut him off. “When you agreed to come on a date here with me, it was the best thing that could’ve happened to me, and I would love a chance to do it again. It’s perfect. You’re perfect.”

“I’m happy you think so. It was either this or ice-skating again, and you were really bad at it the first time.”

Nico laughed. “I wouldn’t care, as long as I’m with you.”

Will looked pleased and relieved. He took Nico by the hand and the two of them went inside. Nico let Will lead him over to the hostess stand, where he gave his name for the reservation, and she led them over to a semi-circle booth. They shimmied in, and Nico looked around, happy to be back. It didn’t take long for a waitress to come and take their drink orders, and they ordered their favorite bottle of Italian red wine. Nico found it endearing, listening to Will butcher the pronunciation. But the waitress must’ve understood what he meant because she nodded before leaving.

“Will,” Nico said, turning to him, “have I told you lately that you’re wonderful?”

“Only, like, every single day, multiple times for the past two weeks?”

Nico scrunched his brow. “Am I overdoing it?”

“Never. I did save your life three times now, so I think I’ve earned it.”

Nico rolled his eyes, but it was betrayed by a smile. “Calm down there, Prince Charming.”

Will laughed. “If I’m Prince Charming, I’m pretty sure that makes you a damsel in distress.”

Nico glared at him. “Say that again. I dare you.”

“Nico di Angelo,” Will started with a tease in his voice. “You... Are…”

“Yes?”

“A…”

“Say it, Will.”

“TerrifyingForceToBeReckonedWith,” Will said quickly. “Midnight incarnate. The be-all and end-all of shadows, sent here straight from the bowels of the Underworld.”

“That’s more like it.” Nico grinned, sitting back. “Though, you could have just settled for something along the lines of, ‘You’re wonderful, too, Nico.’”

“Oh, but you already know that you are. I thought I’d try something different.”

Just then the waitress returned with their wine, and she poured them two glasses and set the bottle between them. She asked if they were interested in ordering anything, to which Nico was about to say no because this place was rather expensive and Will was paying, but Will said they would be, so she gave them a few more minutes to look over the menus. Nico looked to Will hesitantly, but Will said he insisted, so Nico relented and started to review the menu options.

When the waitress returned, Nico ordered Fettuccine Carbonara, and Will ordered the Lotus House Burger. Nico was surprised burgers were even  _ on _ the menu, but equally unsurprised that Will ordered one. She asked if they needed anything else, to which they said they didn’t, before taking off.

Nico reached for his glass of wine and took a sip. Ever since he’d turned human, his taste buds seemed to have changed. Though he could taste and enjoy the wine before, it almost seemed mute compared to the rich flavor he enjoyed now. It was as if before his taste for blood had been so strong and so vital, that everything else was overwhelmed by his need for it. Now it was different. Now even the smell of blood seemed to repulse him. And everything that had been suppressed beneath it was finally starting to rise. He could taste more and smell more and just  _ enjoy  _ more.

He looked over to Will, who was taking a sip from his glass as well, and he couldn’t help but smile. Since meeting Will, he had been through more in the last two months than he had in his entire lifetime. There was so much bad, but also just as much good. And Nico knew he’d do it all over again if it meant being here with Will.

The two of them chatted for a while longer before the waitress returned with their plates of food. Nico’s mouth nearly watered at the sight of it. If there was one thing he’d learned since turning human, it was that he  _ loved  _ Italian food. No sooner had the waitress left than Nico picked up his fork and twisted the pasta around it. And when he took the first bite, he could have sworn he ascended.

_ Okay,  _ he thought,  _ maybe I’m exaggerating. But still. _

The rest of their time passed in bliss. Nico and Will talked and ate and talked more and drank their bottle of wine and continued talking until nearly two hours passed and Will looked down to check his phone.

“We should probably get going soon,” he said.

Nico agreed. He felt a little fuzzy from the half bottle he drank already and fine with leaving before Will suggested a second bottle. They finished the rest of their glasses, Will paid the bill, and soon enough they were headed out back toward Nico’s car.

Will insisted on driving, again, reminding Nico that his alcohol tolerance was a little too low so he shouldn’t be driving. Again, Nico agreed. He let Will drive them back to his apartment, relieved he didn’t have to wear a blindfold this time.

When the car was parked and the two climbed out, Nico reached for Will’s hand as they started down the sidewalk. He was happy. Happy like this, just to be holding Will’s hand and walking beside him. They reached the apartment building shortly thereafter and headed up the stairs. Nico waited as Will unlocked the door, and Will stepped aside to let Nico walk in first. When he turned on the light, he nearly had a heart attack. 

“Surprise!” voices cheered.

Nico blinked a few times to see Cecil and Lou Ellen, and standing around in the kitchen. The kitchen and living room err decorated with a Happy Birthday banner, and there were streamers hanging everywhere, and balloons. There were  _ so many _ balloons. Nico beamed and started to laugh. He hadn’t had a birthday like this in… well,  _ ever _ . And he knew it was childish, but they were  _ here _ , celebrating  _ him _ . And wow. He didn’t know if he could ever get used to this.

Will wrapped his arms around him from behind, and Nico sank into them playfully before turning around and giving him a quick kiss.

“Happy birthday, Nico.” Will smiled.

Nico turned back around and started toward Cecil and Lou Ellen.

“Took you two long enough!” Cecil commented as he grinned. “We thought you might have run away and eloped.”

Nico rolled his eyes.

“For the record,” Lou Ellen added, “only Cecil thought that. My money was on you drinking too much wine and passing out in the hotel bathroom.”

“I am never going to live that one down, am I?”

“Definitely not anytime soon.”

Cecil turned around and grabbed a small gift bag off the table.

“Happy birthday, Nico! I have a gift for you!” Cecil cheered, proudly passing it to Nico.

“Thank you,” Nico grinned.

He took the bag from Cecil, feeling a bit awkward as everyone’s eyes were on him. He searched for a card, but there was only a small tag on the bag that read “To: Nico, From: Cecil.” He removed the tissue paper and reached inside the bag, grabbing hold of a small tin bottle. Nico pulled the bottle out and turned it over in his hand so that he could read what it was.

“Roll-on body glitter?” Nico read. He couldn’t hide the confusion in his voice.

He looked up at Cecil, hoping he hadn’t offended him in his confusion.

“Just because you’re not a vampire anymore, doesn’t mean you can’t still  _ sparkle _ like one.” Cecil started laughing as if he’d just told the funniest joke in the world.

Realization dawned on Nico, and he started laughing, too.

“Vampires don’t  _ sparkle _ , Cecil,” he said. “We’ve been over this.”

“Okay, but maybe there’s another breed of vampires out there who  _ do _ .”

“Or maybe  _ you _ have just been reading too many books.”

“Oh, I definitely only watched the movies.”

“Honestly, Nico,” Lou Ellen teased, “you think this one reads?”

“Ouch, Lou!” Cecil said. “I read!”

“Yeah, tabloid articles and C++ programming,” she scrunched her face at him. Then she turned to Nico, “I have something for you, too.”

Nico felt himself turn red. A gag-gift from Cecil was to be expected, but for Lou Ellen to get him something, too? He suddenly felt embarrassed. She handed him a small box in wrapping paper, no bigger than his hand, and it was quite heavy for its size.

Nico peeled back the wrapping paper and held a small navy blue paper box. He lifted the lid and pulled out a block of glass. He held it up to see it contained a three dimensional depiction of a city on the inside, almost looking to be made up of tiny bubbles.

“It’s a bubblegram of our cityscape,” she explained. “I know when we talked about your traveling, you mentioned you didn’t keep souvenirs because as a vampire you were always moving or didn’t want to be traced. So I thought maybe this could be your first one. Something to remind you where your new life starts.”

And Nico awed at her, completely taken aback by her sincerity and consideration. “Wow, Lou Ellen,” he said with a smile. “That… that’s really thoughtful of you. I love this. Thank you.”

“Can I see?” Will asked.

Nico handed it over to him. Will took a moment to appreciate it, too, before handing it back to Nico. Nico tucked it back into the paper box and set it toward the center of the table where it would be safe.

“Wow, Lou,” Will repeated. “He’s  _ my  _ boyfriend, and I think you’re one-upping me.”

It was Lou Ellen’s turn to blush, but she quickly covered it up by making a face. “Don’t blame me if you can’t come up with a good gift idea!”

Nico laughed. “Everyone’s gifts are perfect. Well, save for the body glitter that I’ll never use.”

“Hey!” Cecil joked. “Be nice. I worked hard on that gift. Who knows? Maybe you and Will can do some vampire/ human roleplay and—”

“Oh my gods, Cecil,” Will stopped him. “No one wants to hear you finish that sentence.”

Will then turned to Nico. “Wait right here, I have something else for you.”

“What?” Nico asked. “I already feel like this is a lot.”

“Too bad!” Will started toward his bedroom. “There’s still more.”

And Will was gone no longer than a second before returning with a card and some paper in his hand. He set the paper face down on the table before holding out the card.

“Here’s a card,” Will handed him an envelope, “from Jason.”

“What?” Nico gasped, grabbing it.

Any reservations he night might have had quickly dissipated at the mention of Jason’s name. He tore it open excitedly and started reading.

_ Hey  _ _ Neeks _ _! _

_ How does it feel to be getting older? Like REALLY older? I know you’re “23,” but Hazel told me your real age, and WOW! You could be my great-grandpa. Just wait until your neck hurts when you sleep wrong or your back aches for no reason or your teeth start falling out. Lots to look forward to! _

_ Things have been great in Greece so far. I’ve been hanging out with Hazel, and gods, she is wonderful. She’s like you, except better and hotter (too bad about this Frank guy, right?). Turns out, Hades is a cool dude, but I haven’t seen him around much. And Bryce? Hades isn’t letting him leave Greece for a century! It’s like VAMPIRE TIMEOUT HAHAHAHAHA. _

_ Anyways, this letter is supposed to be about you. (Sorry I got side-tracked). But HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DUDE! Like for real. And Hazel says happy birthday, too! Sorry we can’t be there today. We both miss you so much and hope you’re having a really kickass day. _

_ Your Favorite Vampire, _

_ Jason _

_ P.S. Tell Will to give you your present now _

_ P.P.S. Having a super rich vampire sugar daddy is kinda lit _

Nico couldn’t help but smile the whole time he read Jason’s letter. He could read the whole thing perfectly in Jason’s voice, and he was pleased to know that his friend was doing well and still had a sense of humor. He seemed to have a better grip on this vampire-thing than Nico ever did. Nico folded the letter neatly and tucked it back into the envelope. He turned to Will.

“Jason said you’re supposed to give me a present?” he asked.

Will’s face lit up with excitement. “Close your eyes!”

“Oh gods, Will,” Nico groaned. “Again?”

“Just do it!”

So Nico did. He held out his hands, feeling awkward, and Will placed something light and delicate in them. He opened his eyes to see two pieces of paper.

“What’s this?” Nico asked.

“Plane tickets!” Will grinned. “To Italy!”

“What?!”

“We’re going over my spring break!” Will announced. “Jason and Hazel are meeting us there.”

“WHAT?!” Nico repeated.

He couldn’t believe it. He wrapped his arms around Will, careful not to crumble their tickets.

“I can’t believe it!” he exclaimed.

“Me neither, but I talked to Jason yesterday, and apparently Hades finds him rather amusing, so he had no problem paying for them.”

“Dude, that’s so cool!” Cecil added.

Nico turned to Lou Ellen. “I guess I can add to my bubblegram souvenir collection.”

Lou Ellen smiled. “Just make sure you don’t forget about your good friend, Lou, and pick her out something nice, too.”

“Of course.”

“Okay,” Cecil said, “so is it like, time for cake now, or what? Hanging up all these decorations got me starving!”

“ _ Cake, too? _ ” Nico couldn’t believe it.

“What kind of birthday doesn’t involve cake?” Cecil grinned.

Cecil and Lou Ellen sat around the kitchen table, and Will made his way over to the fridge to get the cake. Nico decided he would get the plates and forks, and set the table as Will brought the cake over. Will cut into it, passing out slices, and all Nico could think was how  _ grateful _ he was that they hadn’t started singing to him. Because that kind of embarrassment definitely would have had him running into Will’s room and locking the door behind him.

The rest of the night continued with bliss. They finished their slices of cake and moved to Will’s living room where they could play board games. Cecil put music on the speaker, and Will retrieved beers from his fridge. The four of them spent the rest of the night telling jokes and stories and laughing. Soon enough m, their board games went from friendly fun to drunken competition until everyone decided they won before the games were even over.

By the end of the night, Nico’s cheeks nearly hurt from all of his smiling. Weeks ago, he could have never imagined a life like this. A life surrounded by friends, having fun, being full on food and a little bit drunk, with nothing to worry him and everything to look forward to. He leaned into Will, starting to feel a bit tired but trying to fight it off. Will wrapped his arm around his waist, and Nico was happy.

  
  
  


-Will-

After Nico fell asleep with his head on Will’s shoulder, Cecil and Lou Ellen decided to call it a night. They gathered their things, said goodbye, wished Nico a happy birthday again, and headed out of Will’s apartment where they said they’d catch a cab.

Once they were gone, Will gave Nico a gentle nudge, stirring him awake. Nico resisted, huffing in defiance and snuggling into Will’s shoulder more. Will chuckled under his breath and tried again.

“Nico,” he said. “Do you want to go to bed?”

Nico yawned and eventually lifted his head. He stretched and looked around.

“Where did Cecil and Lou Ellen go?” he asked.

“They left after you passed out.”

Nico’s brow furrowed. “I passed out during my own party.”

“Yes, you did.”

“Hmm…” Nico hummed, and then he looked up at Will and smirked. “That means I have you all to myself now.”

“Way to wake up in a  _ mood _ , Nico,” Will laughed.

“I’m only kidding. I’m way too fucking tired for any of that right now.”

“We can go to bed now, if you want?” Will suggested.

“In a bit. I feel a little drunk, and I think if I lay all the way down right now I might get spinny.”

“Whatever you want.”

Nico sat up. “I want water.”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

The two of them stood up and walked over to the kitchen where Will fixed them each a glass of water. They downed them rather quickly, so Will refilled them both again, and they each took a sip. Will looked at Nico and paused.

Will reached up and pulled at one of Nico’s hairs. “Uh oh, Nico. I think I’ve found a gray hair.”

“What?” Nico asked, color draining from his face.

“Kidding,” Will beamed, pulling his hand away.

“You’re the worst,” Nico grumbled, but Will could hear the light chuckle in his voice.

“I thought I was funny.” Will shrugged.

Nico yawned and took another drink of his water. “You know, when the time comes, and I actually do get my first gray hair, I’m going straight for the hair dye.”

“I expect nothing less.”

“And Hazel and Jason won’t be getting any older,” he said.

“No, they won’t be.” Will frowned.

“Do you think it’ll be weird?”

“Did  _ you  _ think it was weird when you were a vampire and people around you got older?”

Nico took a moment to think it over. “No, I was always sort of jealous, I think.”

“Then I don’t think it’ll be weird,” Will decided.

“I just hope we stay in touch is all.”

“We will. We  _ are _ going to Italy this spring to see them,” Will reminded him.

Nico smiled. “I’m really looking forward to that.”

“Oh,” Will said, “that reminds me. I have something for you. I felt weird giving it to you in front of Cecil and Lou Ellen.”

Nico looked at him confused. “Another gift? Will, you really didn’t have—”

Will pressed his lips against Nico’s, cutting him short.

“Yes,” Will said, pulling away. “And actually, my dad sent something for you, too.”

“Your  _ dad _ ?” Nico repeated.

“I’m just as surprised as you are,” Will agreed. “Let’s go to my room. They’re in there.”

Will set down his glass on the counter, and Nick did the same. He led Nico to his bedroom, turning on the light, before going over to his closet to retrieve the gifts. Nico sat on his bed and waited. Will walked over and handed Nico a small box from his father, which was unwrapped, but Will had managed to keep himself from peaking inside because it wasn’t meant for him.

Nico opened the box, withdrawing a piece of paper, and started reading it over. His brows knitted in confusion the more he read, which just made Will curious and a little fearful of what his father might have written. But when Nico finished reading, he set the paper down beside him and started taking things out of the box. From what Will could see, it looked to be a passport, a license, and a sheet of paper. Nico started looking everything over before turning his attention back to Will with a smile.

“What is it?” Will asked.

“Apparently, your dad’s brother owed him a favor, and he managed to get me new IDs. Like, real ones. A passport, a license, a birth certificate. With my real name. Everything’s consistent. He wrote in his letter that I needed to have a real identity if I was going to be human and dating his son,” Nico chuckled.

“Wow,” Will said. “I knew I had some important uncles but nothing like that.”

“I didn’t even tell you the funniest part yet.”

“What is it?”

Nico reached back into the box and pulled out a silver key. Before Will could ask what it was for, Nico started laughing.

“Apparently, your dad is kicking me out of your apartment.”

“What?!” Will asked. “Why is that funny?”

“Because your dad bought me my own fucking apartment around the block, as if I won’t be here every single day anyways,” Nico continues to laugh.

And Will thought maybe he was a little too drunk to be thinking it was that funny. But seeing Nico laugh made his heart warm, and he couldn’t help but chuckle, too.

Nico lifted the letter up and skimmed halfway down before he started reading.

“I understand that you and Will have only recently started dating,” he read in a mock-serious tone. “And I mean this as no insult to you, but an important part of any healthy relationship is space, and there is no reason to be living together so soon. I found you an apartment nearby that is fully furnished, and I think you’ll find it quite comfortable.”

“Oh, my  _ gods _ ,” Will awed and then he started laughing, too. “I guess we sort of are living together, aren’t we?”

“And Dr. Apollo has decided it’s too much too soon,” Nico grinned. “Does this mean he wants us to have a ‘healthy relationship?’ Am I on his good side now?”

“Nico, I couldn’t tell you  _ what _ is going through his mind if I tried,” Will answered. “But that’s beside the point. My dad can go and buy you an apartment, but he won’t buy me a car?”

“Maybe he thinks you're a bad driver.”

Will pouted. “Maybe I wouldn’t be if he bought me a car I could practice with.”

Nico just grinned. “I’ll have to call him tomorrow and thank him.”

Will smiled. “Okay, I have one last thing for you now, but it’s under the bed, so lift your feet.

Nico packed his IDs and letter back into the box quickly and drew his legs up onto the mattress. Will reached down under the bed.

“I didn’t wrap it, but,” Will explained as he slid the gust out.

Nico looked down at Will, and when he saw what it was that Will had for him, his face lit up.

“You got my fucking guitar back?” He exclaimed.

Will nodded. “And your amp, but I’m not digging that out right now.”

Will lifted the guitar case off the ground and set it on the bed next to Nico. Nico reached for it, excitedly, and started to unhook the latches. He lifted the lid of the case to reveal his electric guitar inside.

“I know you probably could have just bought yourself a new one,” Will explained, “but you sounded like you really liked his one, so I went back to your old apartment after class one day—”

“You went back?!” Nico exclaimed, whipping around to face him. “Will, you’re reckless.”

Will shrugged, but he couldn’t hide the grin on his face. “Only when it comes to you.”

Will leaned in and cupped Nico’s face in his hands, tenderly. He pressed his lips to his, giving him a long, soft kiss. Nico reached for his waist and pulled Will onto the bed with him. They continued kissing for a few more minutes before Nico withdrew in another yawn and buried his face in the crook of Will’s shoulder.

“I’ll clear off the bed,” Will suggested.

“No. The guitar sleeps with me,” Nico teased.

“Oh, really? And where do  _ I  _ sleep?”

“The… couch?”

“Wow. Am I being kicked out of my own bed in my own apartment by my own boyfriend?”

Nico laughed and wrapped his arms around him. “It’s payback for the gray hair trick.”

Will gave Nico a soft squeeze. The two of them pulled apart, and as Nico shut the lid of his guitar case and began securing the latches, Will took the box from his father and set it on his dresser. Once the bed was cleared off, they both changed into sweats, and Will shut off the lights.

He crawled into bed next to Nico and pulled him in close. “I’m gonna miss you now that you have your own place.”

Nico turned around to face Will. “I plan on being here every night, regardless. Except… except for when you have those dreadful 7AM shifts at the hospital.”

Will moved his arm to drape over Nico’s waist.

“Good.” He smiled, his eyes falling closed.

“Today was wonderful, Will,” Nico said. “Thank you.”

“I’m glad. I’m happy for you.”

Will suddenly felt Nico’s lips on his, briefly. And Will was happy. Happy he could be here with Nico, like this. Though he knew he would’ve ended up with Nico, vampire or human, he couldn’t help but feel content with the way things worked out. Nico was happier this way, and in turn, it made Will happier, too. They had no more worries or fears or threats or anything else to get between them. All they had was each other and time. And that was all Will needed.

“I love you, Nico di Angelo.”

“I love you, too, Will Solace.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3
> 
> *Author Voice* "And they lived happily ever after. The end."
> 
> The end. Wow. What a ride. I can't believe I wrote this whole story in only 19 days. But this story really seemed to write itself. Kudos and comments are always appreciated.
> 
> And I also just want to take a moment to say thank you, like, really thank you, to everyone who has been reading and commenting and being patient with my daily uploads. I know it's difficult to read a story that's in-progress when you'd rather just binge it all. So everyone who has stuck with me for this ride has my absolute love and affection. I hope I could leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling about the way this ended - you deserve it! <3


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